Coventry regeneration plan worth £120m kicks off after bid to flatten apartments signed off

A regeneration project in Coventry’s Spon End worth £120 million is set to start in October this year after receiving approval from the local council.

The project will see the demolishing of a 1960s housing estate in a plan Coventry City Council signed off on this month (19 June).

Trafalgar House, Kerry House and Milestone House had most of their residents moved out in 2020 and 2021 to prepare for this, leaving some 158 flats emptied.

The regeneration is being carried out by social housing provider Citizen.

236 apartments are set to be built, comprising mostly two-bedroom residences across five blocks between five and nine stories

In the plans, construction will begin as soon as the area is flattened. If delays do occur, a temporary wildflower meadow will be planted to use the space. Work must start by next March, however, if Citizen is to get funding from Homes England.

236 apartments are set to be built, comprising mostly two-bedroom residences across five blocks between five and nine stories.

The homes built will be “modern and energy efficient”, according to planning documents. There is also the promise of better car parking and possibly a community hub.

The project is set to be finished by 2028.

First proposed in 2019, the regeneration was pitched to tackle anti-social behavior in the area, in response to complaints about the “level of security” and fly-tipping from residents.

At the time, though, the improvements drafted aimed to tackle areas of poor standards on the original and outdated infrastructure, rather than propose full demolishment.

One resident told the BBC that, since the eviction of residents from the blocks, the “great community feel” of before was missing

In a public consultation evening held about the development in May this year, local residents’ main concerns were about whether the proposed development would keep some of the area’s natural beauty, as well as bring back the “community feel”.

One resident told the BBC that, since the eviction of residents from the blocks, the “great community feel” of before was missing, and that he believed it could “take a long, long time” to regain it.

Kevin Rach, Director of Regeneration Services at Citizen Housing, said residents living in the buildings set to be knocked down had been re-homed, and would be offered the chance to move back onto the newly developed estate.

Spon End is seeing multiple redevelopment projects, with 750 homes being built across the area. 30% are to be classed as ‘affordable’ housing.

Future plans see a second stage of the regeneration scheme effecting Spon Gate House, George Poole House, Grindlay House, Drinkwater House, Givens House, Gardner House, Fennel House, Winslow House and Corrie House.

A third stage will then involve three areas: Wellington Gardens, Sherbourne Street, and numbers 85 to 99 on Upper Spon Street.

More aspects of the regeneration of the area include a riverside boardwalk, new cycle routes, and wildlife habitats.