LISTEN: Coventry has to be confident about its growth potential and stop looking over its shoulder at Birmingham, according to an expert panel at EG’s latest City Talks event.
Panellist James Brookes, associate partner, at Bromwich Hardy, set the tone within the first five minutes of last night’s debate, asking fellow panellist Martin Reeves – chief executive of the West Midlands Combined Authority and Coventry City Council chief executive – if devolution is actually going to help the city. Brookes said: “Will Coventry still struggle and play second fiddle to Birmingham? Coventry has been chasing the development curve for as long as I can remember, how is devolution going to help?”
Reeves, speaking before an audience of 100, responded: “There are clearly some challenges, there’s massive development taking place in and around Birmingham with HS2, and Coventry is trying to develop its city centre around Friargate, the railway station and City Centre South, all in a challenging market with investment fragility. That is a problem. Are there some issues out there about perception? I think it’s more of a reflection on Coventry being confident about its growth potential while not looking over its shoulder at Birmingham.”
Reeves added: “For economic growth, we need to get over the Birmingham issue and say far from it being a liability and a challenge, we’re less than half an hour from the second city and an hour from our only global city, what’s not to love?”
The debate also focussed on the city’s lack of suitable office development, where development opportunities lie, as well as inward investment, residential, student housing and Coventry desperately needing an improved retail and leisure offer.
The event took place at Coventry’s Ricoh Arena and panellists were: David Armstrong chief executive of the Wasps rugby team, who spoke about why the Wasps decided to relocate to the city; Henry Bellfield, director of developer Barberry – a major investor in student housing in the city; and Nick Button, partner and head of commercial property at law firm Band Hatton Button.
For full coverage of the event, see the Midlands Engine supplement published with the 1 October issue of Estates Gazette.
After the event, EG deputy regional editor and Midlands editor Lisa Pilkington, spoke to Cushman & Wakefield’s Adam Lazenbury and John Sambrook, and Jonathan Robinson of Barberry about the importance of having an improved retail and leisure offer in the city and the impact of acute land shortages and how these issues can be addressed. Listen below.
