warwickshirecoventry +

Inward Investment magazIne Issue two

retail revivalthriving town centres in warwickshire and big brands swoop on Coventry, a changing retail picture

Sir Peter rigbyCaptain of industry shares his businesss acumen, as chair of Coventry and warwickshire Local enterprise Partnership

buSineSS touriSmevent central – concert audiences, conference attendees and business visitors boost the economy

Quality of lifeFamily friendly – relocating executives find prestigious properties, high performing schools, world-class culture

MIRA: leAdIng the uk’s AutoMotIve And engIneeRIng ReseARch on track to bring more investment to the region

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ch 2

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Opportunities to access existing leased space including the new 3.7k sq m (43k sq ft) Control Centre building

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Masterplan includes comprehensive amenities comprising a hotel, restaurant, coffee shop, conference centre, health club and sports facilities

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MIRA Technology Park Ltd Watling Street, Nuneaton, Warwickshire, CV10 0TU UKT: +44 (0)24 7635 5220 E: terry.spall@mira.co.uk

www.miratechnologypark.com

3 coventry + warwickshire

contents

news the regeneration of coventry and warwickshire – news about the intiatives 4

Quality of life executives relocating to the area will find great choice in residential property and high-performing schools – and there’s culture 8

business tourism From conferences to concerts, the coventry and warwickshire area is event central – and it is worth millions to the local economy 12

sir peter rigby one of the Uk’s leading industrialists has stepped forward to chair coventry and warwickshire Local enterprise Partnership 17

map what is being developed in coventry’s city centre and the towns throughout warwickshire 21

projects a summary of projects and opportunities under way or coming soon around the area 22

education and skills where young people can gain the skills that employers need 31

housing some of the sub-region’s housing developments in the social and private sectors 35

infrastructure transport links are excellent but new initiatives will further improve connectivity across coventry and warwickshire 38

automotive the future’s smart at Mira – leading the field in cutting edge research and development for the automotive industry 40

retail From leading brands to quirky independent shops and restaurants, coventry and warwickshire offers plenty of choice, whatever the budget 44

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Published by 3foX international375 Kennington Lane, London SE11 5QYT: 020 7978 6840

For Coventry City Councilprincipal inward investment officer: Rachel Baker rachel.baker@coventry.gov.ukFor Warwickshire County Council head of inward investment: Sackie Somal sackiesomal@warwickshire.gov.uk

Copyright 3Fox International Ltd 2013. All material is strictly copyright and all rights

are reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without the written permission of 3Fox International Ltd is strictly forbidden. The greatest care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of information at time of going to press, but we accept no responsibility for omissions or errors. The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of 3Fox International Limited, Warwickshire County Council or Coventry City Council.

managing director: Toby Fox

printed by: Wyndeham Grange

images: Jaguar Land Rover (cover), Warwickshire County Council, Mischa Haller, Warwickshire Exhibition Centre, Rugby School, Coventry City Council, © Robert Bosch GmbH, © MIRA, The Kingsley School, North Warwickshire and Hinckley College, King Edward VI, Warwickshire College, Heritage Motor Centre, Brian Holt Estates Agents, Paul Twyneham Estate Agents, Taylor Wimpey, ExtraCare Charitable Trust, Café Rouge

coventry + warwickshire

executive editor: Siobhán Crozierhead of design: Rachael Schofielddesign: Kate Harkuscontributing editors: Lucy Purdy, Sarah Herbertbusiness development manager: Dan Leylandhead of business development: Paul Gussarproduction assistants: Emily Corrigan Doyle, Emma Gassonsubscriptions manager: Simon Maxwelloffice manager: Sue Mapara

issue 02 March 2013 coventry + warwickshire

top Coventry’s Ricoh Arena is a major event centre. middle Innovation at the University of Warwick. bottom More than 40 retail outlets at the West Orchards shopping centre in Coventry.

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31

44

A round-up of stories from investment and development projects – the initiatives contributing to regeneration around Coventry and Warwickshire

4 Coventry + WArWiCkshire

ABOVE Jaguar at Gaydon is “at the forefront. of technical innovation in vehicle development”..

Sir Peter Rigby, chair of the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP), has described a government decision to move the area forward to the next stage of City Deal status as a “massive economic milestone” for the region.

CWLEP led the City Deal bid, called Re-engineering Engineering: Raising our Game, with the support of all local authorities in the area.

The bid was designed to drive the economy by improving skills, innovation, productivity and jobs, building on the region’s

engineering and manufacturing strength. City Deal was shown the green light in late February.

Rigby said: “This is great news for Coventry and Warwickshire and allows us to put our very exciting plans into place, to do just what the LEP was established to do – create jobs, economic growth and prosperity.

“We are delighted we were able to bring so many key partners together to help formulate the bid.

“It has meant that we could deliver a unified, coherent and compelling case for the whole of the area, and our

City Deal: “economic milestone”

Several of the region’s global businesses, including locally-based, international brand Jaguar Land Rover, are coming together for the Warwickshire Expo, organised by Warwickshire County Council.

Focusing on innovation, technology, engineering, design and manufacturing, the inaugural expo will take place at the Warwickshire Exhibition Centre on 21 and 22 March.

The first day is open to the public and focuses on career opportunities for young people, while the second will be a trade day, concentrating on business networking and showcasing the companies of Warwickshire’s innovation cluster, such as MIRA, Alumet, Codemasters and Ricardo, among many others.

The expo forms part of the Going for Growth agenda, a Warwickshire County Council programme designed to support economic growth in the county. The expo initiative is supported by Jaguar Land Rover.

Les Ratcliffe, head of community relations at Jaguar Land Rover, said: “We are delighted to support the Warwickshire Expo to champion inward investment in the region. Jaguar Land Rover is the largest manufacturer of premium vehicles in the UK and is at the centre of the UK automotive industry’s drive to deliver technical innovation in all areas of vehicle development. Our engineering centre in Gaydon is at the forefront of this and employs thousands of engineers and technologists from across the county.”

concentration on engineering and manufacturing capability and skills has obviously struck a chord.

“I feel that the LEP has gained real momentum in recent months and this is a very notable success.

“We now want to turn those plans into reality with the same unified approach which has brought us this government approval.”

Global innovation

ABOVE Sir Peter Rigby, City Deal. brings key partners together..

See page 17 for an in-depth interview with Sir Peter Rigby.

running head

inWArd investment mAgAzine 5

inWArd investment mAgAzine 5

nEwS

The former headquarters of Warwickshire Police at Leek Wootton has prompted scores of inquiries from developers and investors since Lambert Smith Hampton’s (LSH) announcement in October 2012 that it was being marketed.

Jon Hinton, senior surveyor at LSH, said: “We always expected significant interest from investors and developers in this site because it provides a whole host of excellent commercial or residential redevelopment opportunities.

“However, we have been inundated with enquiries and within just a few days of announcing the sale we had been contacted by more than 60 interested parties, including care home operators, property developers and investment funds.”

The 25-hectare site is Grade II-listed – for sale as a whole or in seven lots – and has outline planning permission for C2 planning use of a retirement or care home or similar.

The force now has its headquarters at the new Justice Centre in Leamington Spa.

Rush to take down particulars

ECOnOmiCS SummitVince Cable, secretary of state for business, innovation and skills, spoke at the 11th Warwick Economics Summit in February. The international forum is run by Warwick students. Other speakers included Andrew Bailey, executive director of banking and chief cashier at the Bank of England until 2011, Rory Sutherland, vice-chairman of the Ogilvy Group, and Bob Kerslake, head of the civil service and a Warwick alumnus.

COVEntRy tOPS PlAnninG lEAGuECoventry City Council’s development management team is the fastest of all local authorities in the country. It processed over 96% of major planning applications and 99% of all submissions, within 13 weeks between April 2010 and March 2012.

DitCh thE CAR

More than half of passengers using Leamington station and more than three quarters of those using Warwick station are getting there by sustainable transport, leaving the car at home.The survey, by Warwickshire County Council, revealed that almost 53% are walking, cycling or catching the bus to Leamington station and more than 82% to Warwick, with travelling by foot by far the most popular option. The council is using £300,000 of local sustainable transport funding to improve pathways and cycle facilities at both stations, support improvements to bus services and organise cycle- friendly events.

‘PRE-fAB’ SChOOl wElCOmES PuPilSOakfield Primary School in Rugby has become the first UK school to be built using a new standardised system, Sunesis, which uses off-the-shelf designs to reduce costs and construction time. Completed in just 32 weeks, the new 1,172sq m building cost £2.2 million. The Sunesis system was developed jointly by construction firm Willmott Dixon and local authority procurement company Scape.

in BRiEf lambert Smith hampton’s Jon hinton. (right) with Clive.Phillips, head of. estates development at.warwickshire. Police, at leek wootton..

ABOVE the new footbridge will. improve access at Stratford..

A new footbridge, complete with lifts, will bring easier access to platforms at Stratford town rail station by spring 2014. A public exhibition in February sought people’s views at the beginning of the design process.

Local rail services will also get a major boost when the new Stratford Parkway station opens and more train services are provided later this year. The Department of Transport’s Local Sustainable Transport Fund, which is part funding Parkway station, also awarded £500,000 to improve access to rail in Stratford district by sustainable forms of transport, such as walking, cycling and bus journeys.

Crossing the traCks

6 Coventry + WArWiCkshire

£92 million motor centre

Economic growth in Warwickshire is to receive a £3.5 million boost, after Warwickshire County Council agreed a funding package for Going for Growth projects, such as apprenticeship programmes, small business loans, superfast broadband and an initiative to revitalise town centres.

Funding includes £500,000 in loans for small businesses and £237,000 to support 300 new apprenticeships in business. A further £1.2 million will fund a county council apprenticeship programme, and £1.1 million is to be invested in superfast broadband.

County council leader Alan Farnell said: “Going for Growth is designed to stimulate the business and economic environment with the necessary finance, infrastructure and expertise to deliver prosperity for Warwickshire.

“The county council is pro-business and pro-growth, and we are pushing our resources towards job creation, access to finance and enterprise. The flagship projects in the scheme have been selected on the many merits that they have in making a positive impact on the economy.”

As part of Going for Growth, £400,000 will be allocated to revitalising Warwickshire’s market towns and town centres. Business community groups are invited to apply for grants of up to £30,000 to deliver initiatives to encourage footfall, such as food festivals, big screen events, pop-up shops or even free parking.

Farnell added: “We have seen the demise of major retail names such as HMV and Comet and we are keen to buck that trend in Warwickshire.”

£3.5m loCal eConomiC boost

A £92 million National Automotive Innovation Campus (NAIC) is to be established at the University of Warwick to create and develop green technologies to reduce our dependency on fossil fuels and reduce CO2 emissions, as well as developing a stronger UK supplier base.

The initiative will be part-funded through the government’s UK Research Partnership Investment Fund (UKRPIF) – which supports university capital research projects – and partly by £92 million from Jaguar Land Rover and Tata Motors European Technical Centre (TMETC).

Jaguar Land Rover and TMETC, working closely with Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) at the university, predict a tenfold return on investment through new and improved products, processes and services.

Chairman and founder of WMG, Professor Lord Bhattacharyya, said: “The automotive industry in the UK has seen a recent resurgence, but for the UK to remain internationally competitive we must create urgently a critical mass in research excellence.

“NAIC will be an ‘engine’ for economic growth, with wide economic benefit, and sustained growth from the creation of world-leading technologies. It will enable academic and industry teams to work

together in state-of-the-art buildings, with tailored equipment and digital solutions to create and integrate breakthrough technologies with a whole system approach crossing multiple disciplines.”

ExPORt fOR GROwthThe Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce has launched the Exporting is Good for Coventry and Warwickshire campaign to get more local firms selling their products overseas. Chamber chief executive Louise Bennett said it was vital to turn rising exports into a long-term trend.

She said: “There has to be a culture change within business that currently looks upon the domestic market as its target and sees foreign trade as almost impossible. The world has become smaller over the past decade and we have to make exporting a part of the make-up of the majority of our businesses. Figures suggest that progress is being made but we have to turn that into a trend rather than an up-and-down line on the export graph.”

According to the British Chambers of Commerce, 44% of companies report a direct link between exporting and increased turnover, while 58% said that exporting led to higher growth for their company.

ABOVE the national Automotive innovation Campus will develop green technologies..

www.arup.com

Images clockwise from top left: Rugby Library © Martine Hamilton Knight Coventry University, Engineering and Computing Building (Arup Associates) © Simon Kennedy Coventry Cathedral © Arup City College Phase 1 & 2 © Kier Walsgrave Hospital, Coventry © Arup M1 Widening (Junctions 21-30) © James Prestage

Proud to have been working across Coventry & Warwickshire for over 60 years.

We are an independent firm of designers, planners, engineers, consultants and technical specialists offering a broad range of professional services

8 coventry + warwickshire

As You Like Itcoventry and warwickshire attracts attention for historic theatre and architecture, top performing schools, a well-connected transport network and a buzzing nightlife. Many factors helping to hold up the area’s reputation as a great place to live and work. Suruchi Sharma explores

RIGHT Hartshill Hayes Country Park,. one of Warwickshire’s rural treasures..

ABOVE The RSC theatre. complex draws visitors..

Warwickshire’s most famous genius is renowned across the world for his ability to pen timeless plays and passionate sonnets – but be assured, William Shakespeare was

also one shrewd property investor. Famously portrayed as the penniless wordsmith living from play to play in the Oscar-winning Shakespeare in Love, the Bard bought The New Place, one of the most prestigious properties in Stratford-upon-Avon, in 1597.

In the 1600s he accumulated property in and around the area, showing that, despite his love of London’s playhouses, he was always drawn to the sumptuous greenery of his birthplace. Warwickshire’s tourism has benefited from his international literary reputation ever since.

Warwickshire and neighbouring Coventry still appeal to housebuyers, including executives and middle-managers looking for property at the high end of the market. These purchasers want to stretch their budget with competitive house prices compared to London – but maintaining key transport links to the capital.

Warwickshire’s towns such as Leamington Spa, Rugby, Warwick, Kenilworth and Stratford-upon-Avon attract homeowners with their rustic appeal and impressive heritage. Warwickshire boasts some of the country’s most scenic and historically significant locations including castles in Warwick and Kenilworth. Literature fans are enticed by the popular Royal Shakespeare Company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, particularly since its £113 million revamp last year.

Brian Holt Estate Agents was set up in Kenilworth in 1995 and has branches in Leamington Spa, Coventry

city centre and Earlsdon. Jane Canning, manager at the Leamington Spa office, says: “Stratford-upon-Avon would certainly attract buyers as it is a lovely area steeped in history – a bit like Warwick.

“Warwickshire has so many wonderful qualities. There are excellent facilities in Leamington Spa, Kenilworth and Warwick with great speciality shops and a wealth of quality restaurants and bistros.”

Train commuters can get to London in 50 minutes from Rugby, in an hour from Coventry, in 67 minutes from Leamington Spa and one hour and 20 minutes from Warwick. Birmingham is less than half an hour away and has the added perk of the city’s airport. The area also has motorway links to the M40, M42, M45, M6, M69 and M1.

inward investMent Magazine 9

LEFT Coventry’s. Herbert Gallery...inspires art fans.. ABOVE Coventry. Cathedral – a symbol. of reconciliation..

Canning adds: “The M40 linking the main motorways, together with the railway networks running from Leamington Spa and Warwick Parkway, offers convenience and speed for commuters.

“There are excellent schools in all these ‘linking towns’ and the area is highly recommended for both families and executives alike.”

Coventry may not have the rustic attractions of Warwickshire but it offers everything from great architecture, including the outstanding Coventry Cathedral, to culture at the renowned Herbert Art Gallery. The city also has a balanced shopping experience with a mix of high street favourites and independent shops in the town centre.

For sports enthusiasts the Ricoh Arena is a magnet for Coventry City fans. The 16-ha site is also a multipurpose centre with conference, hotel, casino and exhibition facilities. The Ricoh is established as a hub for music lovers providing a 40,000-capacity concert arena, which has recently played host to Coldplay, Take That and Kings of Leon. Another draw is the Coventry Blaze ice hockey team, who play their home games at the Skydome in the city centre.

George Hartshorn, managing director at Elizabeth Davenport Estate Agents in Coventry, counts Finham, Coundon, Styvechale and Earlsdon as popular areas.

He says: “In recent years the up-and-coming part of Coventry has been Earlsdon. There is a really thriving high street and lots of cafes and restaurants. It is a place people gather during the day in the many coffee shops and there are trendy bars for nightlife.

“The house prices in Earlsdon have been rocketing in

quALITy OF LIFE

10 coventry + warwickshire

the last few years. Even since the housing crash the prices still seem to be rising, which is against the norm.

“Within Coventry, the south and west side of the city are considered to be two of the best areas. The two best comprehensive schools are Finham Park and Coundon Court, which are very highly rated. Bablake School and Henry VIII School attract children from a wide area – and are also highly rated schools.”

It is more than just heritage that is tempting potential homeowners to Warwickshire’s town and villages, which also have modern amenities such as top class leisure and shopping facilities.

Paul Twyneham, partner at Paul Twyneham Estate Agents, recommends the regency town of Leamington Spa and the county town of Warwick, where his offices are based, and also highlights the increasingly popular location of Kenilworth.

He says: “Both Kenilworth and Warwick have the castles and Kenilworth town centre is delightful with a lot of quirky shops. Believe it or not, one or two people I have spoken to said they particularly want to live in Kenilworth because there is a Waitrose!

“It’s amazing that people can choose a locality because of that sort of facility and in Kenilworth there is a Waitrose but also Sainsbury’s – so it’s well served.”

There has been recent speculation about Kenilworth train station reopening but an already well-linked area is the town of Warwick, which includes Warwick Parkway train station.

Twyneham adds: “Warwick is a smaller town than Leamington Spa, but with its castle, is one of the major tourist attractions in the country. Warwick is charming, it is well-off for restaurants and a lot of people enjoy living in the town centre because they can walk everywhere.”

Transport links are a huge pull for businesses and as companies move to cheaper locations away from London, senior staff will consider the options for their children’s schooling, as they search for residential properties.

Twyneham says: “We have found, in a number of cases in recent years, that this area is obviously popular for companies moving in and we’re getting relocations from all over the country involved with work moves.

“The state schools are quite good here and there are private ones such as Warwick School and Rugby School, so again, we’re quite well served.”

One of the oldest independent schools in Britain, Rugby School, has a notable alumni including the reputed father of the sport of rugby, William Webb Ellis, former prime minister Neville Chamberlain and authors Lewis Carroll and Salman Rushdie.

Assistant headteacher Mark Semmence says: “We’re often noted for our remarkably unsnobby atmosphere but among pupils and teachers alike, you’ll detect a fierce pride about being here.

“We’re a school with a strong sense of service to the community. We’re blessed with some marvellously well-equipped facilities. After five years of receiving one of the best school educations in the world, all of our pupils finally leave Rugby but Rugby never, ever leaves them.”

The Kingsley School, in Royal Leamington Spa, is also independent and headteacher Heather Owens is passionate about providing the opportunity to teach girls in an all-female environment.

She says: “The benefits of a small school like Kingsley with small classes are that every girl is known as an individual and teachers can cater for individual needs and preferred learning styles.

“All in all our aim is to turn out girls who are well-rounded, well-mannered and well-qualified.”

At the heart of the country, the Coventry and Warwickshire area excels in great transport links, excellent schooling and top class sporting and shopping facilities, ticking all the boxes for housebuyers who want to make the right move, in business and in home life.

ABOVE Signatures at the Herbert, where coffee follows art..

In WARWICkSHIRE 1 Lawrence sheriff school (seL),

rugby, boys2 king edward vi school (seL),

stratford-upon-avon, boys3 stratford-upon-avon grammar

school for girls (seL), stratford-upon-avon, girls

4 rugby high school (seL), rugby, girls

5 king’s high school (ind, seL), warwick, girls

6 alcester grammar school (seL), alcester, mixed

7 the kingsley school (ind), Leamington spa, girls

8 warwick school (ind), warwick, boys

9 Princethorpe college (ind), rugby, mixed

10 rugby school (ind), rugby, mixed (pictured below)

In COVEnTRy1 king henry viii school (ind),

mixed2 Bablake school (ind), mixed3 Finham Park school, mixed4 the coventry Blue coat church

of england school and Music college, mixed

5 caludon castle school, mixed6 tile hill wood school

and Language college, girls7 coundon court school, mixed8 Bishop Ullathorne catholic

school, mixed9 cardinal newman catholic

school, mixed10 whitley academy, mixed

kEy:ind – independentseL – entry based on selection

TOP TEn SECOndARy SCHOOLS

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Midland Heart is one of the top ten housing andregeneration businesses based in the UK, owning andmanaging more than 32,000 homes and investing inexcess of £100 million each year into neighbourhoods.

Midland Heart manages 3900 homes in Coventry andhas an office in the heart of the city.

In the next two years we are investing £16.6m intocreating 124 new high quality homes for Coventry.

• We are proud of our successes to build quality whichhomes transform places and lives - promotingindependent living and quality of life.

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• From Carnivals, allotments, art projects, gardeninitiatives, and environmental improvements, toaction groups – we have a track record of being part of inspiring partnership projects.

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12 coventry + warwickshire

The world’s second biggest earning. musician is still The Boss..

executives on the move are big business – hotels, airlines, restaurants, bars and taxi drivers all welcome the business traveller who spends far more than the humble tourist and makes more frequent journeys. coventry and warwickshire is event central, an established destination for conferences, festivals, team-building sessions, exhibitions and concerts. estates Gazette’s markets editor Noella Pio Kivlehan reports

Movers and shakers

When music legend Bruce Springsteen graces the stage at Coventry’s Ricoh Arena on 20 June, he will sing to legions of adoring fans who have come to the city to witness one of

modern music’s biggest performers.Names of note who have appeared at the same venue –

the UK’s seventh largest conference centre with a 33,000 seat stadium, hotel, casino, bar and restaurant – include Florence and the Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Take That, Rod Stewart, Pink and Muse, who kick off their biggest ever Europe-wide stadium tour in May – and the 2013 Brit Award winners for best live act, Coldplay.

But it is not just famous musicians or music lovers taking in Coventry’s rocking sounds. The growing number of business tourists who flock to numerous venues, not just in Coventry, but in Warwickshire as a whole, means that Springsteen is not the only “boss” arriving in the area.

The central location – approximately 90 miles from London, 80 miles from Manchester and 250 miles from Edinburgh, with great motorway connections – has resulted in business tourists opting to choose the region, for everything from conferences to team-building days.

“Our region has a huge advantage, in that its

central location makes it so accessible if businesses are bringing together individuals from across the country,” acknowledges Chloe Davies, marketing manager at Stoneleigh Park, which is one of the area’s popular venues, along with the Ricoh Arena and Warwick Conferences, among others.

Even the ongoing economic crisis has not dented business trips. Latest figures from the 2011 Tourism Economic Impact Assessment for Coventry show: “There was... a 15% uplift in business travel volumes between 2010 and 2011, after four successive years of decline.”

Business tourists in 2011 made up 24% of all overnight visitors to the city, with 202,000 – a combination of domestic and foreign visitors – out of a total of 842,000 overall visits. The number of bed nights was 360,000 – 16% of the overall total of 2,316,000.

Showing the economic impact corporate money has, the report reveals total spend per head per night by business visitors during 2011 was £198.64 compared with those on holiday (£130.60), and those visiting family and friends (£68.87). The importance of hosting company events “cannot be underestimated... Coventry and Warwickshire is a significant business tourism destination,” says Alan Robinson, director at Warwick

BusiNess Tourism

inward investment maGazine 13

14 coventry + warwickshire

We make sure their budget works harder... It’s all about value for money, and outstanding customer service can really set you apart from competitors when times are so much tougher

The Heritage motor Centre at. Gaydon also hosts events for up to 600..

Conferences, part of the University of Warwick.Concurring with the report, Robinson says that after

a tough 2009/10, “delegate numbers have improved in the last two years and are now getting back to the levels of 2007/08 pre the credit crunch and recession.” And he says confidence is returning to the market, with many corporate clients undertaking more events.

Yearly, Warwick Conferences’ training and conference centres host 90,000 overnight stays and 70,000 delegate days, while the Conference Park hosts 55,000 overnight and 19,000 delegate days, with a mix of training events and conferences for up to 2,000 people at a time.

Even though business has started to pick up, venues do not automatically assume they can attract visitors. “The downturn has meant every business has to be a bit smarter about how it works,” says Stoneleigh Park’s Davies. “We understand that is the case for our clients and we make sure their budget works harder for them. It’s all about value for money, and outstanding customer service can really set you apart from competitors when times are so much tougher.”

Nestled in a rural setting, Stoneleigh Park – formerly the National Agricultural Centre – holds indoor and outdoor events, offers free parking for 30,000 cars and hosts 40,000 conference delegates every year. Like other venues it prides itself on being innovative in order to attract business. “It’s always important to be innovative,” says Davies. “Of course people want their event to be the biggest, the best and the most creative – and we work with them to help them achieve their dream, whether it’s facilitating a round of jousting, erecting an entire fairground, displaying a large collection of cement mixers or covering the venue in zip wires.”

Other popular venues include the Warwickshire Exhibition Centre near Leamington Spa, 10 miles from Coventry, which sits in a four-hectare site, and the Heritage Motor Centre in Gaydon, which can hold up to 600 people. Jeff Coope, managing director of the latter, says its conference business is within its Accredited Museum: “So we provide a unique and interesting venue for business delegates across all sectors.”

He adds: “We are an educational charity so all profits generated from our conference business go towards the care and conservation of the extensive vehicle and archive

inward investment maGazine 15

BusiNess Tourism

Facilities at Warwick Conferences can stage. training and events for up to 2,000 at a time..

FAr LeFT Coldplay’s Chris martin, best live act.. LeFT olympic football at Coventry City’s ricoh Arena..

CAse sTudy: oLymPiC LeGACy Last summer’s London olympic Games, were hailed as one of the greatest since the modern games were reborn in athens in 1896.

But it was not just the capital that made sure the Games were a success. outside of London many venues were used to host events and more specifically, the ricoh arena in coventry was selected to be one of the host stadiums for olympic football.

in choosing the venue, Lord coe, chairman of the London 2012 organising committee – LocoG – said: “it is a great venue and ideally located.”

he added: “the city of coventry stadium will be an excellent host for football matches for the London 2012 olympic Games.”

two local venues – chesford Grange hotel and the University of warwick – helped by providing accommodation and training pitches.

Liz cooper, marketing director at ricoh arena, reveals that discussions took place with the university regarding the identification of their venue as a training camp and it earmarked chesford Grange to include in the bid document as hotel rooms for athletes.

“we facilitated all initial discussions and then each individual venue liaised directly with LocoG. however, it was clear that such great facilities helped to secure the olympics,” says cooper.

andrew Fox, general manager of the chesford Grange, says once the hotel managed to get the contract there was a lot of organising with the various parties: LocoG themselves, FiFa, warwickshire Police and security firm G4s.

the hotel became an ‘island site’, says Fox, with airport-type security scanners for everyone entering the hotel and their bags. “the hotel staff made all the difference by really getting into the olympic spirit, even when the days became very long indeed. we had to liaise with the Games makers and the official LocoG staff, who in turn liaised with the university and ricoh to ensure smooth transition throughout the tournament.”

while the Games may be over, the olympic legacy will continue. “since the olympics we have had two more enquiries for world renowned events and we are some way down the line to securing these,” says cooper.

Fox says: “this definitely shows how the area can deliver world class events. hopefully the rugby teams will decide to come here for the world cup games (to be hosted by england in 2015). the product offering of the ricoh arena, the space and facilities at the university, together with the bedrooms and the flexible meeting rooms, made it all possible for the olympics – and is a great example of what we can deliver with all three venues being so close by.”

Proudly, Fox adds: “Lord coe sent a letter of thanks too.”

collections. Our clients fulfil their own meeting and event needs while also giving back to the community.”

Liz Cooper, marketing manager at Ricoh Arena, believes that the mix of venues makes the region unique: “We should shout about the number of venues we have and the flexible opportunities [this gives] delegates.”

Clearly the importance of the business traveller to the region cannot be underestimated. But there is more to the centres and arenas than corporate functions. The Ricoh Arena was the only Midlands venue to host Olympic football matches at London 2012 and rebranded as the City of Coventry Stadium during the Games.

The Arena worked along with the Chesford Grange Hotel, which provided accommodation, and the University of Warwick, which provided training pitches. All three venues hope their involvement will lead to their own Olympic legacy (see panel).

And in July, the city of Coventry will host the UK Corporate Games. With up to 5,000 people attending, the games are estimated to be worth £3 million to the area.

Robinson says teams at the UK Corporate Games will use sport and accommodation facilities at the university.

“The Games are also using a number of other prestigious venues around the city such as the Ricoh Arena, so it becomes an excellent showcase to potential corporate users of the city facilities, as well as local hotel accommodation,” says Robinson.

Once the UK Corporate Games have finished, the people of Coventry and Warwickshire will be able to delve into the spirit world as Psychic Sally pitches up at the Ricoh Arena. Having already sold out one of her two October dates, the card-reader to the royals will doubtless be looking forward to the next few years and hopefully predicting great things for the future of the region.

Where do regeneration finance professionals go for information and advice? socinvest.co.UK

SocInvest.co.uk provides an enhanced news and information service to regeneration funding and finance professionals. The site is accompanied by a weekly email news service sent to 16,000 subscribers FREE every Thursday.

The site provides news and analysis of all the latest issues affecting:/ Private and affordable housing finance/ Council property joint ventures/ Enterprise zones/ Institutional investment in infrastructure/ Sources of European funding/ Government policy and regeneration initiatives

The site also contains an intelligence section linking to all the latest publications affecting the sector, plus special reports on in-depth topics from SocInvest Thought Leaders.

DemonStrate your expertISe on SocInveSt.co.ukIf you would like to become an expert Thought Leader like GVA Financial Consulting, who are currently publishing their report on how the public sector can intervene to enable property finance, then contact Paul Gussar on 0207 978 6840 or paul@3foxinternational.com

Sign up to FREE SocInvest news service at

socinvest.co.UK

inward investment maGazine 17

sir PeTer riGBy

sir Peter rigby is the founder and ceo of scc, europe’s largest independent it firm and one of the Uk’s biggest privately-owned businesses. the company employs 7,500 people in more than 50 countries. rigby also owns the Patriot aerospace Group and coventry airport, as well as the eden collection of hotels. now the chairman of coventry and warwickshire Local enterprise Partnership, he tells Coventry + Warwickshire why he decided to take on the role

Firing on all cylinders

At the controls, captain of. industry, sir Peter rigby..

18 coventry + warwickshire

We drew up and presented to the government a plan which will improve skills, innovation, productivity and jobs

it is two years since I first became involved in the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP). I stepped forward because I am a passionate believer that people, businesses and areas

can greatly help themselves given the right conditions and a considerable amount of ambition.

Having lived here and operated businesses in the area, I felt that more could be done to drive the economy forward and that the establishment of the LEPs could be a major platform to help create prosperity. Some people have been critical about the way in which the government established LEPs, but the lack of defined rules has allowed us to shape our structure and to determine our success.

I had no intention of taking over as chair of the LEP, I just believed, like all the other board members, that I could play a part in helping Coventry and Warwickshire. But when the vacancy arose, I felt I could contribute more

and really have the LEP firing on all cylinders.It has been a great deal of hard work by a number of

people and a large degree of learning on my part, but I firmly feel that the LEP is making a clear and tangible difference to the fortunes of Coventry and Warwickshire.

The priorities of the LEP are simply described, but more testing to achieve:

■ To drive economic growth■ To help remove barriers to economic growth■ To help create high value jobs■ Co-ordinate local government co-operation

and support

Coventry and Warwickshire has a great many things working in its favour – our pedigree in world-class engineering, our location, our two universities – all

w

inward investment maGazine 19

sir PeTer riGBy

of which make us attractive to investors if they are leveraged correctly. Our expertise in manufacturing and engineering was very much the focus of our successful City Deal bid.

The City Deal – Re-engineering Engineering – has been devised by the government to give cities and areas powers and tools they need to drive local economic growth, unlock projects or initiatives to boost their economies and strengthen their governance arrangements.

We drew up and presented to the government, a plan which will improve skills, innovation, productivity and jobs.

It makes full use of our mix of universities and further education colleges across the area and the blueprint is to launch a GAME (Growth of Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering) Changer Programme later this year which will have some very exciting goals for growth.

They include:

■ Providing 5,000 new engineers over the next two years and eliminating the City Deal area’s engineering skills shortage by 2020

■ Encouraging 25% of Advanced Manufacturing Enterprise (AME) businesses to invest in research and development

■ Eliminating the productivity gap by 2020 through investment and support for advanced manufacturing with an aspiration for 20% growth

■ Increasing the net number of jobs in the area by 30,000 and raising the proportion of the workforce employed in key sectors to 25% by 2020

We have almost a tenth of all English motor manufacturing jobs and the second highest proportion of employment in advanced manufacturing and digital media by the LEP City Deal area.

The expertise stretches right from the north of our area, down through Coventry and Rugby to the south of Warwickshire. We are also linked in the north and south and in other areas of engineering expertise.

It is in many ways the economic backbone of the Coventry and Warwickshire area and has massive potential which City Deal status will help us realise. We will take a radically different approach to skills delivery by providing businesses with the tailored training they need, and when they need it. It is key that skills training is totally aligned to the needs of commerce.

We will target four key groups – engineers in the workforce and former engineers, the unemployed, graduates, and apprenticeships and trainees.

In many ways, the City Deal epitomises the LEP because it was a strong and united piece of work, drawn together in a short period of time, thanks to some very hard work by committed people.

In the last few months we have attracted more than £30 million in funding to directly help companies and organisations create jobs and therefore, growth. We have had a fantastic response to the Growing Places Fund allocation from the government, and are currently working through the string of high quality bids which we have received.

Karl Eddy, of Grant Thornton, Birmingham Airport CEO Paul Kehoe and Dr Richard Hutchins of Warwick Manufacturing Group have all joined the board since the turn of the year. They all have the right set of skills and contacts to enable us to take the LEP to the next level, and they all are very determined to help us achieve added growth and prosperity.

We have a very strong board and our recent board meeting illustrated the progress of the LEP. We have also redefined the business groups of the LEP so that they can really make a real difference in key areas – all with the aim of creating jobs.

All the groups have very tangible priorities which are allied to our strategy and again, they are making significant headway. We have a clear focus on a number of key schemes and innovation assets significant to the economy such as Gateway, NUCKLE, M40 (J12), Stoneleigh Park, Friargate, City Centre South and MIRA – all of which have fantastic potential.

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running head

Development locations

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WARWICKSHIRE

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© Crown Copyright Coventry City Council100026294-2012

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PROJECTS – Coventry

1 Belgrade Plaza

2 Friargate

3 Earlsdon Park

4 Far Gosford Street

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Lower Precinct University

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5 Stratford Parkway station

6 Ricoh Arena station

7 Loades Ecoparc

8 Coventry and Warwickshire

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9 Heatline

10 Stoneleigh Park

11 Manufacturing Technology

Centre

12 Rugby Gateway

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22 coventry + warwickshire

1 belgrade plazaBelgrade Plaza – the £150 million city centre mixed-use development has an award-winning car park, 120-bedroom Premier Inn, 64 residential apartments and Bella Italia and Pizza Express restaurants. Café Rouge opened its first unit in Coventry in March, meaning all leisure units are now fully let.

Developer Deeley, part of the Belgrade Plaza

Partnership, is in advanced discussions with several parties about completing the scheme’s residential phases.

Managing director Peter Deeley said: “The negotiations are at an advanced stage and are not for student housing. The ambition is also to attract a premium brand hotel and again, we still have firm interest but the residential is likely to come to fruition at an earlier stage.”

Project update who is investing in major regeneration projects around coventry and warwickshire? we look at major developments under way and those coming onstream and find out what the new opportunities will deliver

beloW café rouge joins other. big brands at belgrade plaza..

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inward investment magazine 23inward investment magazine 23

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friargateRedevelopment of the 15-ha Friargate site next to Coventry train station is due to start later in 2013.Property advisor GVA has been appointed as agent.

 Construction of the 300,000sq m, office-led, mixed-use scheme, developed by Friargate Coventry LLP, will clear much of the existing concrete facade from the area, and include 25 new buildings of which 14 will be grade-A offices, as well as two hotels and new homes. The office buildings – with restaurants and shops at ground level – will face Warwick Road, and a new public square will be created in front of the rail station.

Work on the project, designed by Allies and Morrison, will be delivered in phases over 15 years.

Rodney Pilcher, Friargate Coventry LLP, said: “We believe that Coventry will face an under-supply of quality and sustainable office space, and Friargate represents one of the few major office-led schemes that will be ready to deliver efficient, low-carbon buildings that meet the needs of the modern business.

“With strong national links via rail and road – coupled with vastly improved local connections – Friargate represents a much more fitting welcome to Coventry for visitors travelling by train, as well as connecting directly to the city centre through new pedestrianised streets and boulevards.”

Ian Stringer, GVA’s Midlands regional senior director, said: “Friargate represents the first opportunity for substantial, concentrated development activity in Coventry, since the development of the out of town business parks around the city more than 20 years ago – and this is a hugely exciting opportunity.”

earlsdon parkThe next phase of this £110 million, mixed-use new build and refurbished city centre development will start on site this year. A 260-bed extra care facility will be created in this landmark development, in addition to 5,600sq m of consented office space.

Work undertaken last year, saw conversion of the listed 1930s art deco technical college into prime office space, retail units, and a 100-bed Premier Inn hotel on the second and third floors. It also included the recently opened 650-seat Albany community theatre, and a 500-space car park.

Proposals for restaurants, cafe-bars, shops and a gym, set around a bustling piazza, will ensure Earlsdon Park is a hub of activity.

Earlier phases of the MCD Developments scheme included 6,000sq m of new BREEAM ‘excellent’-rated office accommodation (with ground-source heat pumps, rainwater harvesting and central lightwell with natural ventilation) now occupied by the government’s Department for Education, a multi-storey car park and retail units, together with a block of apartments.

The Department for Education relocated from London, creating more than 500 new jobs and bringing 200 visitors to the site every day.

MCD are development partners for Edgbaston and Essex cricket clubs, delivering innovative and carefully planned mixed-use schemes to both sites.

beloW friargate will transform coventry’s city centre.. beloW left the department for education building..

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Developed on the site of a former colliery, this prestigious park has created thousands of jobs and has significantly contributed to the regeneration of north Coventry.

For latest information please visit

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inward investment magazine 25

projects

beloW the next phase of. fargo Village, with 40% pre-let..

far gosford streetOne of Coventry’s few remaining medieval streets is being reshaped into a creative quarter, home to artists and independent businesses. Far Gosford Street is on the edge of the city centre and Coventry University’s central campus.

Almost £10 million has been invested from the European Regional Development Fund, Heritage Lottery and Advantage West Midlands, along with significant investments from private owners and with a further £15 million earmarked for four projects. The development is being delivered by a partnership between Coventry City Council and Complex Development Projects.

FarGo Village has been developed into a physical ‘hub’ to promote the growth of a creative quarter, with a market and performance place, retail units, craft and artists’ workshops, gallery and exhibition space to act as a seedbed for local product design, creativity and media business talent. Due to start on site in April 2013, 40% of the space is already let.

The Venue, part of the Village’s second phase, will launch in spring 2014. Gosford Gateway development at the street’s city end, is due to start in spring 2013, comprising ground floor retail space with 32 bedrooms of student accommodation above. Completion is anticipated for autumn this year.

4 A second phase will include high-quality retail and leisure space at ground floor level with a 125-bed boutique hotel above.

The third major project is Kilby Mews, an infill development of 29 residential units – a mix of apartments and houses – reflecting the style of the former court houses which were historically found on the site.

The Homes and Communities Agency will provide equity funding support to encourage the delivery of much needed new housing. The first phase is due to start on site in late spring with completion late autumn.

The final major project is set to start in early 2014 and will deliver high-quality office accommodation to attract new businesses to Far Gosford Street, as part of the area’s wider economic regeneration.

Restoration of the street’s historic buildings has progressed, including the former Hand and Heart pub, several 17th century timber framed buildings and six Grade II-listed ‘topshops’ with their characteristic huge top floor windows.

Gap sites, including the site of the former Scala cinema, have been redeveloped.

Shop vacancy rates are almost zero, which is bucking the national trend and 14 new businesses have moved in, with the creation of 30 jobs.

26 coventry + warwickshire

aboVe stratford parkway will. share a car park with park and ride..

right ricoh visitors will find it. easier to get there with nuckle..

ricoh arena stationCoventry’s Ricoh Arena will have its own railway station, with trains every 30 minutes, with the major upgrade of the Nuneaton-Coventry-Kenilworth-Leamington rail route, known as NUCKLE. Construction will start in May 2014.

The plans will also include longer platforms at Bedworth, a new platform at Coventry station, and a new railway station at Bermuda Park.

The Ricoh was the only Midlands venue to host the London 2012 Olympic football tournament and in July, the arena will be one of the venues hosting the UK Corporate Games.

6

stratford parkWay stationThe £8.8 million Stratford Parkway station is set to open in May 2013, seven months earlier than scheduled.

The 0.7-ha site is next to the existing bus-based Stratford Park and Ride, and the two facilities will share the car park. The new station will comprise two 147m platforms with shelters and a connecting footbridge, ticketing facilities, a walkway from the existing car park, a turnaround area, 20 cycle parking spaces and electric car charging points.

5 Its position at Bishopton, on the Birmingham to Stratford Line, next to the A46 and near the M40, is designed to draw in longer-distance commuters to the West Midlands conurbation, easing congestion in Stratford itself and on the roads.

New weekday evening and Saturday services being provided by London Midland to support the new station will begin at the same time, with the weekday off-peak services following in December 2013.

inward investment magazine 27

projects

beloW the ecoparc. uses solar panels..

loades ecoparcPhase one of this eco-commercial estate, in Warwickshire, just three miles north of Coventry, is now complete. Four buildings contain a total of seven units of between 280 and 1,300sq m. All use eco-conscious, technological build techniques, with PV solar panels and electric charge points for vehicles.

coVentry and WarWickshire gateWayCoventry Airport could see development of a 300-ha technology, manufacturing and distribution park. In January 2013, the Coventry & Warwickshire Development Partnership applied for planning permission for two areas to the north, east and south of Coventry airport. When completed, the Gateway could provide up to 10,000 jobs. The site lies within Warwick District and some of the works will increase access to employment land in Coventry around the Jaguar Land Rover HQ at Whitley, with the potential for 4,000 jobs.

7

8 heatlineWaste heat will soon be utilised to heat Coventry’s public buildings in the city centre, saving thousands of pounds a year, and helping those in fuel poverty.

The Heatline scheme will see waste heat from the waste-to-energy plant in Whitley supply heat and water to buildings including the Council House, the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum and Coventry Cathedral.

The project is being carried out by specialist contractor Cofely, which is funding the scheme, along with a £2.2 million grant from the Homes and Community Agency for the installation of the infrastructure.

9

They achieve a ‘very good’ BREEAM rating.The Ecoparc, near the M6 motorway, is

designed to attract high quality, technology-driven businesses and create hundreds of jobs. The park has outline planning consent for larger units, which will be progressively developed over the coming years.

*93.3% of respondents to an independent survey of magazine readers in 2009

Coventry + W

arwickshire

candwmagazine.com

WARWICKSHIRECOVENTRY +

INWARD INVESTMENT MAGAZINE ISSUE TWO

RETAIL REVIVALThriving town centres in Warwickshire and big brands swoop on Coventry, a changing retail picture

SIR PETER RIGBYCaptain of industry shares his businesss acumen, as chair of Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership

BUSINESS TOURISMEvent central – concert audiences, conference attendees and business visitors boost the economy

QUALITY OF LIFEFamily friendly – relocating executives fi nd prestigious properties, high performing schools, world class culture

MIRA: LEADING THE UK’S AUTOMOTIVE AND ENGINEERING RESEARCH ON TRACK TO BRING MORE INVESTMENT TO THE REGION

Issue 02 March 2013 M

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Barking and Dagenham

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From development to community

Barking Riverside: coming to lifeSmart money: investors and

developers on why they are hereCulture venture: heritage, space

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McLaren is pleased to partner with the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham and support its local development and regeneration programme

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issue 4 2013

� e regeneration magazine of the London borough of Ealing/issue 04/spring ‘13

EA

LING

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GETTING NEARER: CROSSRAIL 2018

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“Essential viewing”

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The regenerationof Enfi eld

Autumn 2012Issue Two

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BUILDING NEIGHBOURHOODSINDUSTRIAL STRENGTHDOWN BY THE WATER

MEETING OF MINDSEMPLOYMENT EXCHANGE

CREATIVE BUZZ

INSIDE

opportunity

ENFIELD

2Kreod – the new Greenwich landmark Tech City expands Siemens Crystal opens eastmagazine.net

LONDON’S HOTSPOT: EAST LONDON ISSUE THREE_2012

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OLYMPIC LEGACY Connectivity, housing and meanwhile ...

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ISSUE 5 2013medway making history

Waves of change Peel’s Chatham Waters gathers pace Art start Medway’s burgeoning creative industriesMade in Medway The business gurus driving growthA rate of knots Historic links fuel future development

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medway making history2013Leading sustainable developments

Two fantastic new Countryside Properties developments

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Inside: Hotels, Retail, Education, Scotswood, Byker, Science Central . . .

Newcastle’s regeneration magazine

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Blackfriars RoadOne of London’s major boulevards is rising again to fulfi l its enormous potential

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Bradfordwinter edition_2012

the INWARD INVeStMeNt MAgAzINe

n bradford classic car shown major projects n here for the beer

winter edition_2012

th

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inward investment magazine 29

projects

aboVe popular with. event organisers,. stoneleigh park will. . see major investment..

rugby gateWay Work has started on the Eden Park development, the Rugby Gateway, with CALA Homes, Bloor Homes and Bovis Homes building out the site.

 The 120-ha site, just off Junction 1 of the M6 motorway, forms one of two major urban extensions allocated through Rugby Borough Council’s core strategy.

In addition to the residential element of 1,300 homes in total, the site includes over 30 ha of employment land, on which nearly 2,000 jobs will be created.

The work will be phased over the next few years, with the employment element of the build commencing in the near future.

Manufacturing technology centreThe Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC), on the Ansty Business Park, is a partnership between some of the UK’s major global manufacturers and three universities: Birmingham, Nottingham and Loughborough as well as TWI, the operating division of the Welding Institute.

MTC opened in 2011, following a £40 million cash injection from the West and East Midlands development agencies, with the aim of providing a competitive environment to bridge the gap between university-based research and the development of innovative manufacturing techniques in a range of sectors including aerospace, automotive, ICT, energy, food and beverages.

Employees at the technology park now number more than 750 people.

1211

stoneleigh parkThe 420-ha Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire is to become a rural science park and a national centre of excellence, building on its position as home of the national headquarters of the National Farmers’ Union and several equestrian bodies, its central location, long history and an active research programme.

Owner LaSalle Investment Management is committed to invest between £20 million and

10 The development – which will start on site this spring – includes a visitor centre, expanded cafe, extension to Stoneleigh Park Lodge, modern offices for anchor tenants and a new equine zone that transforms the park’s facilities for horses and riders.

Including demolition of about 5,500sq m of redundant buildings, the expansion in floor space will be a modest 30% over around 15 years, accommodating about 1,500 more jobs.

£50 million in the park by 2020.The site, popular with event

organisers and welcoming 40,000 conference delegates each year, includes commercial property, an equine centre, showground, 21,000sq m indoor exhibition space, eight conference rooms, 100 hectares of showground, 58-bedroom hotel, 120 rooms with self-catering facilities, cafe and restaurant, parking for more than 30,000 cars and three helicopter landing pads.

£55.2M

capital expenditure

2011-12

Inward Investment magazIne 31

education and skills

£55.2M

capital expenditure

2011-12

Power tools

with advanced manufacturing at the forefront of local industry, career opportunities are plentiful for those who are powered up with work-ready skills. Universities and colleges are sharply focused on training for employment. lucy Purdy finds out what is on offer

accommodation and office space on short leases as well as a wide range of business support services and links to the university.

Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG)

was founded in 1980 to reinvigorate manufacturing through innovation. WMG is now an international role model for how universities and businesses can work together and one of the world’s leading research groups, with more than 450 people working across four buildings on campus as well as collaborative centres in six countries.

1_University of WarWickThe University of Warwick, three miles outside of Coventry, is one of the UK’s leading universities, with a reputation for excellence in research and teaching, for innovation, and for links with business and industry. Founded in 1965 with an intake of 450 undergraduates, Warwick now has more than 22,000 students and is ranked in the top 10 in all UK university league tables. The university’s mission is to become “a world leader in research and teaching” and it has impressive international links. One of the most exciting recent developments is in the Big Apple. At the end of last year, New York mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that Warwick is the only European university in a New York University-led partnership of international universities and businesses which have come together to create the Center for Urban Science and Progress in Brooklyn.

The £50 million, state-of-the-art Digital Lab is based at the University of Warwick where it facilitates major collaborative research projects. The UK Market Access Program, based at the university’s Science Park, encourages overseas firms seeking a base in the UK to choose the West Midlands – and already more than 50 businesses have opted to locate here as a result.

Warwick Innovation Centre was created by Warwickshire County Council and the University of Warwick Science Park to extend the university’s features deeper into the region. It offers purpose-designed

aBoVe university of Warwick.

32 coventry + warwIckshIre

aBoVe coventry university.

BeloW Warwickshire college.

2_coventry UniversityCoventry University has a growing reputation for excellence in education and has earmarked £160 million for improvements over the next ten years. The university has three words it believes set it apart: employability, enterprise and entrepreneurship. It was named Entrepreneurial University of the Year at the Times Higher Education Awards 2011.

Courses there have a strong vocational emphasis, with students benefiting from state-of-the-art equipment, and the university has strong links with regional businesses and regional industrial organisations.

Coventry University has also been chosen to host three national Centres of Excellence in Teaching and Learning which has enabled investment in health, design and mathematics.

3_WarWickshire collegeWarwickshire College is one of the largest general further and higher education colleges in the UK. The college has six centres: Leamington, Rugby, Moreton Morrell, Henley-in-Arden, Pershore and Warwick. The college currently has more than 20,000 students, with nearly 4,500 full-time and around 1,500 on higher education courses. The college has a turnover of more than £50 million and offers more than 1,000 courses across 20 subject areas.

Leamington has a £5.8 million arts, crafts, design and multimedia centre

Moreton Morrell was Britain’s first equine college and offers landbased studies

Henley-in-Arden has a fully operational commercial day spa

The Power Industry Academy at the college’s Rugby centre is a ‘unique facility to train power engineers of the future’

Pershore College is a centre of excellence for horticulture and makes and bottles its own award-winning apple juice and cider

A Rolls Royce jet engine is among the many pieces donated by employers to the Trident Centre, Warwick

4_city college coventryCity College Coventry was launched in February 2002 by the then secretary of state for education and skills, Estelle Morris. The general further education college was formed by the merger of Coventry Technical College and Tile Hill College. It currently has 12,000 students, 2,500 of whom are full-time, 500 permanent staff and an annual turnover of £24 million. In 2009 the college moved to Swanswell, a brownfield site in the heart of Coventry, part of the biggest urban regeneration project in the city since the end of the second world war.

Inward Investment magazIne 33

education and skills

aBoVe north Warwickshire & Hinckley college. leFt stratford-upon-avon college.

leFt king edward Vi college.

5_stratford-Upon-avon collegeThe modern FE college is a 10-minute walk from the centre of Stratford-upon-Avon.Just one of its divisions is Stratford Business Services, which runs a range of courses and training programmes for individuals and businesses. It offers short courses, workshops, NVQs and apprenticeships, promoting training and development opportunities as a proven way for businesses to grow and retain their staff.

6_henley college, coventryHenley College has been given permission to redevelop and expand the Bell Green site in a £6 million project. A third of the money is coming from the Skills Funding Agency. Facilities will include an atrium with exhibition space, a student internet cafe and a new block with 14 large classrooms and conference facilities. As well as benefiting students, the redevelopment will have a wider impact on the Wood End and Henley Green

area of the city. The work is expected to be finished by September 2013.

7_north WarWickshire & hinckley collegeThe college welcomed a series of new developments in September 2011, including opening its new £13 million Hinckley College. A new engineering facility at the college’s Nuneaton campus, funded by a £1.5 million investment from Warwickshire County Council, also opened its doors, as well as a new construction centre, based at the Harrowbrook Industrial Estate in Hinckley. The centre is home to the college’s brickwork, carpentry, environmental technologies, painting and decorating and plumbing courses.

8_king edWard vi collegeKing Edward VI College teaches 16 to 19-year-olds from Warwickshire, the West Midlands and neighbouring counties. It was established in 1974 on the site of King Edward VI Grammar School in Nuneaton and now has 1,100 students, about 75% of whom will go on to university. The college offers more than 50 subjects at AS, A-level and BTEC.

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Stoford Developments LtdLancaster House

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Inward Investment magazIne 35

TOP Penns Croft, exterior and interior.. ABOVE The Swans Bridge Gardens. development near Nuneaton – both are. by Taylor Wimpey..

hOuSiNG

Home countydemand is steady as housing developments in different markets and tenures attract investors to take up opportunity sites across Coventry and warwickshire. variety in design, size and price exemplifies the area’s dynamic market. so who is developing schemes and whereabouts? Paul Coleman reports

Strong demand for new homes characterises the market across Coventry and Warwickshire, despite the recession and a widening gap between house prices and incomes.

Prices vary enormously. According to Warwickshire Observatory’s Quality of Life report for 2012/13, using government data from the Department of Communities and Local Government, Stratford-on-Avon District has prices approximately 90% higher than in Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough – Stratford is so desirable that houses achieve higher prices than even the south-east of England.

New developments feed demand. Redrow Homes’ Cawston Grange development in Rugby typifies Warwickshire’s buoyant housing market, with four and five-bedroom homes offering easy commuting access to the M45 and M1 motorways and to nearby Rugby.

Redrow Homes range from almost £270,000 for a four-bedroom house to £370,000 for a five-bedroom, which includes a master bedroom with dressing room.

Sales director Pauline Turnbull says Redrow has offered part exchange on customers’ old homes to free them from complicated chains and agent fees, with keen take-up. “Our Cawston Grange homes are much sought after,” says Turnbull.

36 Coventry + warwICkshIre

LEFT ExtraCare Charitable Trust’s. retirement village at Earlsdon Park..

Penns Croft, near Bermuda Park, offers two, three and four-bedroom homes as part of the innovative Bermuda Village redevelopment. These homes attract buyers from nearby Nuneaton, Coventry and the rest of Warwickshire, including families who want to be near to Bermuda Village’s community facilities and to Bermuda Park’s cinema, restaurants and the forthcoming rail station.

“We’re ready to offer Nuneaton property-seekers a wonderful selection of properties to suit first-time buyers, couples and growing families,” says Carl Cooke, Taylor Wimpey regional sales and marketing director.

Swans Bridge Gardens comprises two, three and four-bedroom homes within easy reach of Nuneaton town centre, its busy twice-weekly street market and

exceptional local schools. Prices for these new homes start from £184,000. But the added advantage of homes at Swans Bridge Gardens is their doorstep proximity to picturesque Warwickshire countryside and woodland.

Elsewhere across Warwickshire, developments satisfy demand across a range of market segments. Executive homes in mews and apartments with canal views are offered at Caldecott Manor near Rugby. Four-bedroom houses with dual aspect lounges were built at Farriers Cross near the historic medieval town of Henley-in-Arden. The development combines modern homes with the best of Warwickshire village life, with prices starting from £350,000.

At Warwick Chase, on the fringe of Warwick itself, one and two-bedroom apartments and large family homes have been built to satisfy burgeoning demand. Prices range from £120,000 to more than £400,000.

Estate agent Paul Twyneham, with offices in Leamington Spa and Warwick, believes younger people will continue to boost the housing market. Paul Twyneham says: “The younger generation is concentrating on space, style, convenience and the latest home techno-gadgets.”

Stratford is so desirable that houses achieve higher prices than even the south-east...

New homes can enhance the quality of life for families. Michelle McHale moved into her Courthouse Green home in winter 2012 with partner Edward Mulligan and 13-year-old son Charlie. “We wanted to move here to be closer to Charlie’s school,” says McHale. “He is autistic and has learning disabilities.”

The family’s new home is part of a £3.7 million, 32-unit, affordable housing development, built on the site of the former Court House pub by Whitefriars Housing, Coventry’s largest landlord, which owns and manages some 18,000 homes. Eco-friendly Courthouse Green ranges from two-bedroom flats to four-bedroom family homes. The development was supported with more than £640,000 from the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA).

“Charlie will now be able to walk to school, and can invite his friends round,” adds McHale. “It’s a proper home and I wake up every day saying how much I love it.”

Specialist housing is also progressing through the planning pipeline. An ExtraCare Charitable Trust retirement village could be built by 2015 on a 1.2-ha site, the former Coventry Technical College at The Butts. The Earlsdon Park development could contain 262 self-contained apartments for people aged 55+ to rent and buy.

It is estimated that 100 jobs could be created at the new village community.

The HCA invested another £500,000 to help Bromford Housing Association deliver 42 family houses on the once derelict site of a former Miners’ Welfare Club in New Arley. Families will live in new Code Level 5 sustainable homes via choice-based lettings, shared ownership and shared equity. The scheme, which has a total value of £4.5 million, is being developed by the Cassidy Group and will complete in November.

Gino Siani, Bromford Group’s business development chief, says: “It will also help boost employment in the area by creating jobs within construction.”

Spirit Quarters, one of the West Midlands’ largest regeneration schemes, will allow more than 7,000 people to live in 3,328 new homes in north-east Coventry. The scheme won the Regeneration and Renewal Best Community-led Regeneration Scheme award last year.

Whitefriars is one of the £360 million scheme’s key delivery partners along with Coventry City Council and Moat House Community Trust. The HCA, Westbury Partnerships Bovis Homes and Keepmoat Homes are investment partners.

“I am extremely proud that Spirit Quarters and the passion and commitment of the community has been recognised,” says Whitefriars project director Kevin Roach. “My hope is that other communities across England will see the successes and achievements of Spirit Quarters, how it has transformed people’s lives and communities, and want to emulate us in building a stronger cohesive community spirit.”

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38 Coventry + warwICkshIre

throughout Coventry and warwickshire investment in transport infrastructure is offering significant benefits to residents and businesses. Paul Coleman reports

Travelling without moving

NUCKLE, a major upgrade of the Nuneaton-Coventry-Kenilworth-Leamington rail route, shows how Warwickshire County Council and Coventry City Council are driving forward

projects to enhance commuting and business travel.The £23.4 million scheme increases service

frequency to two trains per hour on two-car trains. Funding includes £1.9 million from the Department for Transport and £3.5 million from the European Regional Development Fund. Construction starts in May 2014.

A new bay platform at Coventry station will eradicate

a West Coast Main Line and local service bottleneck and could lead to further train paths created in the future. NUCKLE runs on the existing rail route and electrification, post-2015, will increase passenger and freight capacity.

Warwickshire County Council is also promoting Phase II NUCKLE works at Kenilworth station. The new service aims to encourage people to avoid using their cars on the congested A444. The project includes the new Coventry Arena and Bermuda Park stations and extended Bedworth platforms. Coventry Arena station serves the Ricoh Arena, residential areas and a retail park. Demand for train services comes from daily commuting and Ricoh concerts involving global artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Oasis, Take That and Pink.

Local Sustainable Transport Fund (LSTF) money is securing improvements for cyclists and pedestrians. The £6 million Cycle Coventry project, will create cycle routes to link Henley, Tile Hill, Foleshill and Canley with jobs and schools. The scheme uses £3.5 million of grant funding secured by the city council and a £33 million regional LSTF grant secured by Centro.

Stratford Parkway station opens in May 2013 in time for new evening and Saturday trains to Birmingham – part of the Stratford-upon-Avon local sustainable transport project. A new bike hire scheme follows research showing that people in Stratford-upon-Avon cycle more than the national average.

Warwickshire County Council is working with the Highways Agency to address congestion and safety at the M40 Junction 12 (£10 million in funds for this element) and on surrounding roads in Gaydon. The scheme is vital to create and safeguard jobs at the nearby Jaguar Land Rover and Aston Martin facilities. A £2.8 million road is also linking the new Morrisons store at Leamington.

Coventry City Council and partners have pioneered the UK’s first 45-minute charging electric buses. Three zero-emission, regenerative braking single-deckers, each carrying up to 40 passengers, now operate the park-and ride south shuttle from the War Memorial Park.

The £1 million project, part-funded by the government’s Green Bus Fund, CENEX, Centro and the City Council, involved close working with bus manufacturer Optare and operator Travel de Courcey.

Strategic investment in transport infrastructure is improving movement around the area, essential to employers, residents and visitors.

BuSES Coventry City Council has worked with partners to pioneer the Uk’s first fast-charging electric buses. the £1 million project delivers three zero-emission single-deckers, which operate the park-and-ride south shuttle from the city’s war memorial Park.

PrOjECT rOuNd-uP

CyCLiNG Local sustainable transport Fund money has been secured to explore improvements for cyclists and pedestrians. the Cycle Coventry project will create routes to link henley, tile hill, Foleshill and Canley with jobs, education and other local services.

rAiL the new stratford Parkway station will open in may 2013 in time for new evening and saturday trains to Birmingham. thousands are expected to use trains to both the new and current town stations. a new bike hire scheme will be provided for stratford-upon-avon.

rOAdS warwickshire County Council and the highways agency, with £10 million in funding, are working to address congestion and safety issues at the m40 Junction 12 at gaydon, a scheme which is essential to create and safeguard jobs at Jaguar Land rover and aston martin.

The regeneration of Jaguar’s Browns Lane site. At the heart of Coventry, Lyons Park is a

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40 coventry + warwickshire

Mira – the country’s premier automotive and engineering research institution – has come through tough times to tell a remarkable story of its success under new leadership. and it is predicted to draw significant additional investment in the short term. David Gray reports

Test bed – the proving. ground at MIRA..

Driving lesson

MIRA, based at Nuneaton, has become renowned worldwide for its vehicle engineering and testing. Founded in 1946 as the government-funded Motor Industry Research Association,

it supported the country’s automotive industry through changing times and has now grown into one of the leading global consultancies, truly international both in its activities and vision.

MIRA offers full system design, test and integration expertise, not just to the car industry but also now to the defence, rail and other transport sectors. Three-quarters of its 540 staff are engineers and technicians and they work with wind tunnels, crash labs and state-of-the-art facilities for testing climate, noise, vibration, electrical power and every other conceivable factor affecting vehicle safety and performance.

In common with so much of UK industry, MIRA had a rocky road at times, but it has enjoyed a dramatic turnaround in the past three years. Revenue has grown by 40% and there is an aggressive growth plan to become a £100 million business by 2016. Its new property division has planning consent for a 1.75 million sq ft enterprise zone to further expand the new MIRA Technology Park, which is shaping up as a major European centre of excellence.

Vince Cable, the business secretary, said at the opening of the Park’s new £6 million control centre in November 2012: “This is excellent news for the West

Midlands. It has the potential to become Europe’s largest independent transport R&D cluster, and enterprise zone status has helped MIRA attract high-profile names to use it as an engineering base.”

Nick Clegg, the deputy prime minister, succinctly describes MIRA as “very impressive”.

All this recent success owes much to Dr George Gillespie, MIRA’s CEO since 2009. Gillespie, whose PhD from Queen’s University Belfast was on low emission engines, has extensive international experience in the automotive and marine product sectors. This global outlook is central to his vision for MIRA, which he wants to establish as a world-renowned supplier of transportation technology and research. His strategy for MIRA is to build up the core business of vehicle testing and engineering, expand into key markets around the world and complete the successful development of the Technology Park.

Good progress is already being made on all three of these fronts. MIRA’s core business, especially in chassis engineering, expanded by over 11% in both 2011 and 2012. Joint ventures and other links have been forged in Brazil, India and Germany.

The Technology Park now forecasts up to £300 million investment over the next decade. Major firms which have already taken secure facilities on the 88-hectare site at Nuneaton include Bosch Engineering, Lockheed Martin, Ashok Leyland, Triumph Motorcycles and Norgren.

susTAInAble MARkeT plAce

inward investMent Magazine 41

AuToMoTIve

MIRA has the potential to become Europe’s largest independent transport R&D cluster

The arrival of Norgren, a world leader in motion and fluid control technologies, illustrates the success

of MIRA’s new strategy. Norgren’s president Paul Cleaver says: “Our latest

development work requires the unique testing capabilities in which MIRA specialises and makes it the ideal base for our global customers – this is research and development for technology that has huge potential in the near future.”

The arrival of Lockheed has already resulted in a collaborative contract with MIRA for design and testing of Warrior military vehicles. Signed in January 2013, this is part of a £1 billion sustainment programme for the Warriors and will see Lockheed and MIRA engineers working together in Nuneaton.

According to Nigel Skellern, MIRA’s defence development manager: “Lockheed has partnered with us because of our long history in defence vehicle engineering and we are delighted to be working with them on this prestigious programme.”

Innovation has long been one of MIRA’s strongest cards. The organisation was developing electric cars back in 1972 and it has pioneered developments in many areas, including ergonomics, crash testing and specialised applications for military vehicles and racing cars.

leFT Future technology – MIRA’s network assisted vehicle.. beloW leFT changing fortunes for Jaguar land Rover..

42 coventry + warwickshire

A current example is MIRA’s revolutionary new interlinked double wishbone suspension (IDWS) system for cars, which is a unique design to improve handling and comfort. Modern high-performance cars tend to have larger wheels and lower profile tyres and these can affect handling when traditional double wishbone suspension is used. IDWS has been designed to be less complex and more compact than existing alternatives and it highlights MIRA’s reputation for finding smart solutions to problems. Discussions are under way with manufacturers for IDWS to be licenced or purchased for production, initially for premium vehicles but eventually also for higher volume cars.

Gillespie is confident that MIRA is now on the right road. He says: “2012 was a record year, a really good success story and we expect continued growth through 2013 in our core engineering, together with further diversification both geographically and in sectors, especially aerospace.”

The strategy will succeed, he claims, because: “We’ve got our 2012-2017 plans in place, we’re going in the right

direction and we now have a detailed understanding of our market opportunities.”

Taking up the global challenge, Gillespie wants MIRA’s international business to grow from 18% to 45% over the next five years and he is very confident this will be achieved. The key markets include Brazil, Korea, India and, especially, China. “What China and India need, and what we can provide, is the ability to analyse test data and provide engineering solutions,” he says.

The situation was not so rosy three years ago. According to Gillespie: “When I arrived here in 2009, things were very tough; the motor industry had been knocked really hard. But the only way out of that kind of crisis is through developing new products. Fortunately, many of our clients – premium manufacturers such as Jaguar Land Rover and Nissan – are big spenders on research and development.”

“The opening of the new MIRA Technology Park was a pivotal moment in our 65-year history, paving the way for unprecedented growth for our business and turning the international spotlight on our region,” says Gillespie. During 2013, he expects confirmation that key international vehicle manufacturers will be locating their European technical centres in the technology park. He describes it as a very successful property asset and is confident that external funding for its further development will soon be in place.

Although without previous experience of working in a not-for-profit association, Gillespie has found considerable advantages to such status. “As a non-profit without shareholders, we can take a longer term strategic view and there is greater freedom and flexibility both for me and for the organisation as a whole,” he says.

Essential also to MIRA’s business model is its independence from manufacturers and its ability to work confidentially on development for individual companies.

This positive view is echoed by Terry Spall, MIRA’s commercial director: “This is an interesting business; as we are not-for-profit it means all the money generated is invested back in the business.”

He is also convinced of MIRA’s strong financial prospects and forecasts revenue in excess of £75 million by 2015 and “a sustainable and achievable target of £100 million a few years after that”.

MIRA’s recent successes and future prospects deserve to be recognised as key elements in maintaining the West Midlands as a powerhouse for the UK’s advanced manufacturing and technology capability. The latest evidence of this has been Jaguar Land Rover’s announcement in January 2013 that 800 new jobs are to be created at its Solihull factory and a sporty new Range

Rover is to be launched in April. Jaguar Land Rover, owned by automotive

giant Tata, sold 357,773 vehicles across 177 markets worldwide in 2012. The UK luxury car

manufacturer, also one of MIRA’s most prominent and long-standing customers, opened its new

global headquarters at Whitley in late 2011. What MIRA now offers is one of the major reasons why

international businesses, such as Indian-owned Jaguar Land Rover, want to be in Coventry and Warwickshire.

We now have a detailed understanding of our market opportunities

beloW vince cable: “excellent news for the West Midlands.”. beloW RIGHT Further growth and diversification at MIRA..

For more information about these companies, visit candwmagazine.com/links

Coventry and Warwickshire partners group Joining together to support the sub-region

AJA Architects Mike Blakeman

mblakeman@aja-architects.com

Barberry Henry Bellfield

henryb@barberry.co.uk

City College Coventry Debbie Thorpe

d.thorpe@staff.covcollege.ac.uk

DTA Simon Tucker

sjt@dtatransportation.co.uk

SocInvest 13 Rory Kettles

rory@3foxinternational.com

Stoford mail@stoford.com

Study Inn Keiran Leahy

kl@oakmoor.com

warwickshirecoventry +

44 coventry + warwickshire44 coventry + warwickshire

From leading brands like wagamama in Leamington spa, to the enticing, independent boutiques in historic warwick, shoppers and restaurant-goers in coventry and warwickshire are spoilt for choice when it comes to spending their free time – and cash. lucy purdy finds out more

Point of sale

With retailing big-hitters such as Leamington Spa’s Royal Priors shopping centre and West Orchards shopping centre in Coventry, the area benefits from great transport links

and an extensive catchment area of people who respond enthusiastically to retail and restaurant newcomers.

Developers in turn are making the most of fresh opportunities, both at new retail destinations like Hammerson’s retail park in Rugby, and by creatively re-envisaging spaces whose former uses have become outdated – including Barberry’s plans for the former Royal Mail building in Bishop Street, Coventry.

Each of the county’s five districts: Warwick, North Warwickshire, Nuneaton and Bedworth, Rugby and Stratford-on-Avon, has its own shopping offer, from national brands to unique boutiques.

Leamington Spa in particular has kept pace with the changing times. Japanese-inspired restaurant chain Wagamama, chose the town’s elegant, Regency-era Parade as the location for its largest restaurant to date in the UK. Opening its doors in June 2012, the restaurant sits in the heart of the town centre. Wagamama worked with local conservation architects to refurbish the Grade II-listed space – the ballroom of the former Regent Hotel – into a minimalist modern dining space, complete with sleek bar.

“Leamington Spa was an iconic opening for us as it was our first restaurant outside of London to offer sushi, and also our very first to house a bar,” explains marketing director Ingrid Williamson.

“Since opening in the town, we have seen a great response from residents. The launch was hotly anticipated and we were really excited to bring the Wagamama experience to the bustling town centre.”

A stone’s throw away is a new Premier Inn hotel, to add to the Travelodge which opened in 2005. The arrival

of the 82-bedroom Premier Inn is estimated to contribute £7.7 million to the local economy, creating 32 jobs. The arrival of these affordable hotels, coupled with leisure events, has helped bring a new dimension to Leamington Spa, according to town centre manager David Butler.

“Travelodge opened a while ago and Premier Inn will complement and reinforce this offer. We have also recently had it confirmed that we will be hosting the Men’s National Bowls Championship from 2014 onwards – we already host the Women’s. As the town continues to diversify its offer, these prestige leisure events are critical to our ongoing success.”

And what to the town’s future in light of recent, high-profile closures on the UK’s high street – from which Leamington Spa has not been immune?

The picture is looking bright. As Butler says: “The retail offer continues to evolve as a result of these leisure and other factors. Businesses are looking to increase dwell time in Leamington Spa and ensure that the town offers an experience that cannot be replicated elsewhere or online. This is a fascinating and unique town – it is home to one of the strongest clusters of video games companies whose products sell millions of units every year worldwide for example, and we will continue to celebrate and encourage that diversity.”

A new cluster of vintage shops which has sprung up in and around Warwick Street offers real treasure troves for shoppers with an eye for a retro bargain, and is testament to this diversity. As Butler points out: “In fact, the vacancy rate in Leamington remains at the UK average and the healthy mix of independent shops shelters the town a little from the multinational administrations.”

At the more prosperous north end of town, Business Improvement District Leamington, which now represents more than 500 businesses, organises regular events, while

running head

inward investMent Magazine 45

susTAInAble MARkeT plAce

inward investMent Magazine 45

. Above West orchards.

. shopping centre.

. in coventry..

. leFT café Rouge will.

. come to coventry’s.

. belgrade plaza..

ReTAIl

Warwick District Council, says, the application’s strength demonstrated the close relationship between businesses and residents here, a “power combination – one the Old Town can be proud of”.

New artwork, signage and a general clear-up are all on the cards for Old Town, as well as measures to entice start-up shops and events to draw visitors in.

Whizz up the A46 and you arrive in Coventry, one of the engine houses of the Midlands’ industrial past. Exciting developments are afoot here too.

Coventry City Council has been working in partnership with Aviva – the other major landowner – on a £300 million plan for the city centre south, covering Bull Yard, Shelton Square, City Arcade, Barracks car park and Hereford Street. This “sustainable and flexible” plan, which is designed to be adaptable to the changing demands of a 21st century city, reflects the city’s heritage and is designed to dovetail with other regeneration projects such as Friargate at the station and the transformation of Broadgate. Plans submitted for outline approval include a new anchor store, a 1,200-space car park, cinema complex, hotel, apartments, new and refurbished retail units designed to attract more shops, and the reintegration of the market into the scheme.

French bistro chain Café Rouge has chosen to locate at the city’s Belgrade Plaza, a mixed-use development owned by the Belgrade Plaza Partnership – a joint venture with the Deeley Group. It will serve up boeuf bourguignon and moules marinières to hungry shoppers, in a restaurant inspired by retro-chic Parisian bistros, designed to encourage people to linger over their café au lait.

“We were delighted to announce the opening of our latest new look restaurant in vibrant Coventry,” says Harriett Gething, Café Rouge brand manager. “We are looking forward to bringing our joie de vivre to this city.”

the Old Town south of the River Leam, home to many Warwick University students, is slightly more run down. But help is at hand in the form of a Portas Pilot, a plan spearheaded by retail expert Mary Portas, which will see an injection of £100,000 of government money on improvements. As Councillor Michael Doody, leader of

46 coventry + warwickshire

Coventry City Council invested heavily in public realm improvements to mark the London 2012 Olympic Games. The work focused on making key routes into and around the city centre more attractive and welcoming and helped highlight some of the city centre’s assets to residents and visitors alike. This included transforming a tired-looking square on the city’s Broadgate – home to the Lady Godiva statue – into a generously apportioned, pedestrianised space, which can be used for events including markets, shows and even a festive ice rink.

Footfall figures in the Upper Precinct shot up 10% during the fortnight an international market was held – a boost to the shops and Coventry’s sense of civic pride.

Newcomers to Coventry’s Arena Park Shopping Centre include sports shop Decathlon which opened in October 2012 – the 13th in the UK. It offers equipment and clothing for more than 70 sports and reflects the favourite local pursuits of cycling, running and mountain sports. Not forgetting football, as the centre lies just across the way from the Ricoh Arena, home to Coventry City FC. Decathlon celebrated its arrival by sponsoring the Coventry half marathon, proudly renaming it the Decathlon Coventry half marathon to reflect this.

Coventry’s shopping offer will be enhanced by

Barberry Developments’ plans for Bishop Gate. Hundreds of jobs could be created in this large, retail-led scheme which has been granted outline planning consent. This includes the 37,000sq m former Royal Mail sorting centre and adjoining properties, one of which is 50 Bishop Street.

Barberry Developments director Henry Bellfield was approached by Coventry entrepreneurs Robert Bowell and John Dawkins, of Flat Cap Godiva Productions, with the idea of establishing a new creative hub, providing space for aspiring young dancers, artists and musicians to practice and showcase their talents.

Bellfield, who is working with supermarket operators and Coventry City Council to turn the Bishop Gate scheme into reality, says: “We agreed to let them use it on a short-term basis ahead of the redevelopment of the site. It will bring new life to the area and offer young people fantastic opportunities. We also believe that using vacant space to create jobs for young people in this economic climate can only be a good thing.”

A planning application has been submitted to create a major £250 million technology, manufacturing and distribution park near Coventry Airport. Named the Coventry and Warwickshire Gateway, up to 10,000 new jobs in aerospace and digital technology, in manufacturing and logistics as well as in support services and facilities, will be created across the 300 hectares.

Smaller, but with bags of character is the historic town of Warwick, where quality, independent shops and fine restaurants nestle between historic buildings, world-class attractions and beautiful parks and gardens. The town has to balance attractions such as Warwick Castle with bringing shoppers to the town centre. This is gathering pace, with a burgeoning reputation as a festival town. Annual events include the Folk Festival, Warwick Words, Mop Fairs, town bonfire and Victorian Christmas.

Nearby Rugby has been a long-identified retail opportunity for Debenhams. The high street stalwart is bucking the downward trend and implementing an ambitious expansion strategy, led by CEO Michael Sharp, who says: “We believe that customers are to a large extent acclimatised to the new economic reality. We do not anticipate a significant change in the economic environment over the course of 2013 but we expect to make further progress during the year as our strategy delivers further benefits.”

Debenhams will open a full line department store, trading over two floors and creating an estimated 70 jobs, by becoming the anchor retailer at Hammerson’s Elliott’s Field redevelopment. Debenhams’ property acquisitions manager Gareth Dougherty, says: “We have had a long-standing requirement for Rugby and Elliott’s Field provides a strong and exciting location for Debenhams.”

He believes that the accessibility and road network around Elliott’s Field will allow the brand to penetrate a wider Warwickshire catchment. A conscious departure from Debenhams’ tried and tested high street position?

“We are identifying new opportunities both in and out of town locations,” says Dougherty.

And new opportunities, for the country’s biggest retail names and small start-ups alike, is what Coventry and Warwickshire offers in spades.

We believe that using vacant space to create jobs for young people in this economic climate can only be a good thingHenry bellfield, director, barberry Developments

beloW Wagamama in. . leamington spa. . has proved a hit..

Making adifference

Working in Partnership toRegenerate Coventry Orbit Heart of England owns and managesover 16,500 homes throughout the Midlands and are part of the Orbit Group.

Orbit can offer• 40 years of experience developing and

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To find out more about how Orbit can work with you to Build Brighter Futures contact:

Chris JonesDevelopment Director (Midlands)

chris.jones@orbit.org.uk

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Orbit Heart of England Association is an exempt charity and part of the Orbit Group

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Ian StringerRegional Senior

Director – Midlandsian.stringer@gva.co.uk

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