Agenda item

Report of the Director of Transportation and Highways

The Cabinet considered a report of the Director of Transportation and Highways, which set out proposals for the Public Realm Phase 6 programme.

In March 2018, Cabinet and Council gave approval to proceed with an ambitious Coventry City Centre Public Realm Phase 5 programme.  Following a successful bid and a funding award of £44m from the Coventry and Warwickshire LEP and the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), the council transformed the city centre by improving and enhancing the main shopping precincts, the Bull Yard, Pepper Lane and Hertford St as well as improving signs and lighting around the city centre.

The public realm 5 project was undertaken from October 2019 and completed in time for UK City of Culture 2021, additionally it was delivered in unprecedented times throughout the Covid 19 pandemic in which the importance of the city’s public spaces was thrust to the forefront of everyone’s minds.  In order to continue to build on the legacy which the public realm 5 project had left, the project team had identified areas for further enhancement which were not part of the original project scope but would further improve the city centre areas.

A review of the works delivered had identified a public realm 6 programme of works that would focus on improving security and lighting and refreshing some of the areas surrounding Broadgate, The Precinct, Priory Place and the Cathedral.  The schemes would deliver high quality improvements to strategic areas of the city and also enhance the setting of the key events venues and visitor attractions. 

The key projects to be completed were:

·  Retail Quarter Phase 2 – this will focus on upgrading some of the structures and facades around Broadgate, The Precinct, Market Way and Barracks Way tunnel

·  Public Realm Refresh – there are some areas like Priory Place which have damaged water features and areas around the cathedral which need lighting upgrades.

·  City Centre security which forms the largest part of the budget. This includes applying security measures to the area around the Cathedral, the University to create a safe events space and The Wave.

The Public Realm Phase 6 programme would be delivered in a co-ordinated way with businesses, Coventry BID and council partners to ensure any disruption is kept to a minimum.

RESOLVED that the Cabinet:

1.  Agree the revised scheme list and delegate authority to the Director of Transportation and Highways following consultation with the Cabinet Member for Jobs, Regeneration and Climate Change, to agree the detailed works for schemes in Coventry City Centre Public realm Phase 6.

2.  Delegate authority to the Director of Transportation and Highways, following consultation with the Cabinet Member for Jobs, Regeneration and Climate Change and the Chief Operating Officer to agree the detailed works and budgets for additional Public Realm Phase 6 funding.

3.  Delegate authority to the Director of Transportation and Highways following consultation with the Cabinet Member for Jobs, Regeneration and Climate Change, alongside Procurement Board to agree the most appropriate procurement route for the works to be delivered.

4.  Recommend that Council approve the addition of £1.8m of corporate resources to the 5 year capital programme to deliver the Public Realm Phase 6 programme, funded from capital receipts.