Agenda item

Report of the Director of Regeneration and Economy

The Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee considered a report of the Director of Regeneration and Economy, that set out the Coventry Creative Industries Strategy 2026-2029.

The Committee noted that the report was due to be considered by the Cabinet at its meeting scheduled for 10^th February 2026.

It was noted that, with strengths in both creativity and technology, two strong universities and the creative legacy of UK City of Culture 2021, Coventry was well placed to maximise the potential of its creative industries.  However, Coventry did not currently have an adopted Creative Industries Strategy.  This had become more pertinent following the publication of the Government’s Creative Industries Sector Plan in June 2025, including significant sector investment for 2026-29.  This included a £25m allocation to the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) to drive growth of creative industries, aligning with the West Midlands Growth Plan, which identified creative industries as a priority sector.

Ahead of the Government sector plan, the Council’s Culture and Creative Economy team commissioned an independent Coventry Creative Industries mapping report in May 2025.  The purpose was to provide fresh evidence about the size of the sector, as well as to identify key opportunities and challenges.  The mapping involved stakeholder consultation through roundtables and focussed interviews.  A public event was held on 24^th June 2025 to share key findings and collect further evidence, followed by an All-Members’ Seminar on 6^th October 2025.

The mapping report and its key recommendations have strongly informed the development of the Creative Industries Strategy.  The Strategy would provide a future roadmap for the development of creative industries in Coventry as well as giving an opportunity to articulate priorities to potential funders and other stakeholders.  It was highlighted that the adoption of the Strategy was time sensitive given the WMCA funding detail due to be confirmed at the end of March 2026.

Whilst the Strategy was developed with stakeholders and partners by the Council’s Culture and Creative Economy team, there were no new and direct cost implications for the Council within the Strategy itself.  The accompanying delivery plan was based on either existing funding or capacity, but with the ambition to secure further funding in the future, including potentially from the WMCA through alignment with the West Midlands Growth Plan.

The Committee made statements, asked questions and received answers in respect of the following:

·  The strategy strengthens the Council’s position to access funding and support a growing sector within Coventry’s economy.

·  Concerns were raised about reliance on national data, with an expectation that future versions will include a stronger Coventry?specific baseline drawing on local evidence.

·  The need for more explicit and detailed KPIs was highlighted, with a commitment for clearer measures to be set out in the delivery plan.

·  Few comparable strategies exist at local authority level; most are developed regionally. Coventry is viewed as an early adopter in this space.

·  Universities are recognised as key partners, with potential to further strengthen data, analysis and evaluation within the strategy.

·  Long?term outcomes will be tracked through a structured monitoring approach built into the delivery plan, enabling assessment of progress over time.

·  Assurance that the strategy will continue to evolve, with data and KPIs refined as new guidance and evidence become available.

RESOLVED that, the Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee;

1.  Note the content of the report.

2.  Request that the Cabinet consider the comments made by the Committee.

3.  Indicate their support of the recommendations for the Cabinet within the report submitted.