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The Swanswell Initiative

The £600 million Swanswell Initiative is a once in a lifetime opportunity to regenerate a large 64 hectare (160 acre) area. The Swanswell Initiative isn't a quick fix, it's an opportunity to make real and lasting changes that will make the area an even better place to live and work.

The aims of the Swanswell Initiative

The Swanswell Initiative aims to provide 2000 new homes , a new City Centre Heath Facility, new Learning Quarter, new office space, and will transform the local environment.

Progress so far

The new City College is now been complete and is open in two new state of the art buildings on Swanswell Street. Alongside this, the College's multi storey car park was also opened in January 2009 and is now open for public as well as staff and student use..

Seven tower blocks in Hillfields have been demolished, two have been refurbished, new homes have been built in Lower Ford Street, and the new City Centre Health Facility has been granted planning permission. Building work has started on the new Sidney Stringer Academy and Innovation and Enterprise Centre which will open in the existing school buildings in September 2010 and move into the new buildings a year later in September 2011. The main sponsors for the Sidney Stringer Academy are Coventry City Council, City College, Coventry University and Jaguar Cars. Work is expected to start on the new City Centre Health Facility in spring 2010 and will be completed by winter 2011. Work has also started on the new £2million Extended Learning Centre in Bath Street.

One thing that makes the Swanswell Initiative unique is that all land owners, partners and developers are signed up and are committed to working together and involving local people.

Latest news

Planning permission has been granted for a new Salvation Army residential centre. This will see the current centre move from its existing location on Lincoln Street to a new purpose built centre on the current Harnall Lane West car park. The new centre will offer much more than a place to stay and will include training and education facilities including an IT suite, classrooms, and workshops aimed at encouraging business as well as offering employment advice. Now that planning consent has been agreed at Planning committee, the closure of the car park will need to be approved through the appropriate Council procedures. Building work has just started on a new Extended Learning Centre in Bath Street, which will open in early 2011. Extended Learning Centres provide personalised alternative provision for disengaged year 11 pupils, using a range of creative and innovative activities.

Find out more about the Swanswell Initiative

The aspirations for the Swanswell Initiative form part of the City Centre Area Action Plan and the Local Development Framework. The latest edition of Swanswell News (PDF) will give you some useful background information.

Be a part of our vision for Swanswell and help create a development of which our generation and future generations can be proud.

Contact details

If you have any questions or wish to make any comments please contact:
Duncan Elliott by e-mail at: duncan.elliott@coventry.gov.uk or telephone: 024 7683 2639, or
Faye Cockayne by e-mail at faye.cockayne@coventry.gov.uk or telephone: 024 7683 2391.

Swanswell Initiative Project Office
City Services and Development Directorate
Coventry City Council
Floor 4
Civic Centre 4
Much Park Street
Coventry, CV1 2PY

Downloadable documents

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