Three parts of Coventry to get £20m funding each for massive improvements
Three areas have been awarded up to £20m over the next 10 years through the Government's Pride in Place programme
Three areas of Coventry will each receive up to £20m over 10 years to spend on a major transformation to make residents’ lives better.
The cash is coming from the Government’s Pride in Place Programme, led by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and designed to help disadvantaged neighbourhoods.
The areas of Coventry to get the funding are Willenhall, Hillfields, and Tile Hill. The aim is to use it for local needs such as regeneration, high streets and heritage, housing, work and skills, cohesion, community power, health and wellbeing, transport, safety and security, and education.
The community-led scheme will see priorities set by neighbourhood boards, while the city council acts as an accountable body for public funds and compliance.
A meeting of Coventry City Council’s Cabinet heard that a neighbourhood plan for Willenhall needed to be submitted by the end of November, while similar plans for the other two areas must be handed in by March 2027.
Cllr Mattie Heaven (Cons, Wainbody) said she wanted to the council to make sure “we don’t create just jobs and salaries for individuals and then we don’t see the results.”
She said: “Sometimes in cases like this there’s a lot of people managing and creating roles, and already the money will be invested. Then if you look after 10 years, we are just employing people and actually not delivering it. That’s my biggest concern.”
Deputy leader Lynnette Kelly (Lab, Earlsdon) said: “That is a genuine concern and it’s something everybody should bear in mind, but we do have experience in managing propositions such as this.
“If you look at the New Deal for Communities project in Henley ward, that was 100 per cent about engaging with local people, and it was all about delivering improvements to the area, and it delivered a massive, massive improvement to the area for all the residents.
“So, we know that there is a risk, and in some areas you may find that people are employed and they just pay lip service to the local population, but that isn’t the way Coventry carries on.
“We do involve the local population because you won’t improve the areas if you’re not taking the community with you. You need to be working with the community, not telling them what they need, finding out what they need and delivering and that is what this project will do.”
Cllr Heaven added: “We don’t want this to be like the City of Culture, where a lot of people came in, got employment, but didn’t really deliver.”
Council leader Cllr George Duggins (Lab, Longford) replied to that by saying: “I don’t accept the argument about the City of Culture.
“I think the City of Culture was pretty incredible that it even happened, given COVID, and it did bring significant capital investment into the city, which would not otherwise have happened. And I’m sure that you recognise that. It was over £150 million, I believe, and that simply wouldn’t have happened without the City of Culture.”
Cllr Abdul Khan (Lab, Foleshill) said: “It would be astonishing if the money was not spent in a timely and proper way. At the end of the day, it’s about making these three areas better for the residents. And it’s right that the majority of people on the board will be people living or working in the community.”
Cllr Mal Mutton (Lab, Radford) said: “It would be mad not to welcome this. It’s an opportunity for the neighbourhoods to bring them up to speed.”
Cllr Pervez Akhtar (Lab, Whoberley) said: “It’s always been a dream at local level that we wanted more funding, more resources, more powers, more capacity for our local authorities, and for local people, so we can make a difference to our communities.
“I’m very proud once again of the Labour government delivering the resources and powers and funding to our people. I welcome this with both hands and I think we should grab it.”
The Cabinet approved proposals for the council to act as an accountable body and for the establishment of a neighbourhood ward for each area.
Each board will have an independent chairperson as well as members including the local MP and at least one ward councillor. It must represent a broad mix of residents, community groups, faith groups, businesses and youth bodies.
At least eight voting members must be on each board, along with non-voting members of the police, housing, NHS and other organisations.
Board members won’t be paid although the chairperson may get a nominal amount to undertake the role if income is a barrier.