Frustration As £133million Redevelopment Displaces Local Businesses
With City Arcade Shopping Centre set to be uprooted, charities and business alike worry about their future.
Coventry City Council have announced an additional £28.7 million funding package to ensure the redevelopment of City Centre South goes ahead. This is on top of £98.7 million already committed by West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA).
The Council have claimed that the project will “create a vibrant new central quarter for Coventry, delivering new homes, retail units, hospitality, leisure facilities and new outdoor public space for people to relax, meet friends and where children can play.”
Mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street, echoed this statement saying “As we bounce back post Covid and seek to supercharge our recovery, City Centre South will help to reinvigorate Coventry – and be home to hundreds of people, bringing in additional trade for local shops and businesses therefore help the city post covid.”
However, despite Coventry Council and WMCA’s claims of bringing in additional trade, there are many businesses and charities that already call the area home and may not be able to survive the redevelopment.
Coffee Tots is one of these charities, they offer support and a community to new and struggling parents, both in their personal and financial life as well as offering play sessions to help parents bond with their children.
In Coffee Tots own words, the charity aims to “
help children to be ready for school…we're looking at tackling inequalities and poverty from day one”.
Ann McCabe, who is the family support worker at the charity, says the plan to redevelop the south of the city centre has put them in a tough position when it comes to finding a new home, “we are struggling because of the increased rent prices in the city centre compared to what we're paying now.”
Currently, Coffee Tots pay £3000 a year to keep their operation running, when searching for a new home they are looking at quotes in the region of £30,000; a price that an independent charity simply can’t afford.
In a similar position to Coffee Tots is Escape Games, a shop that specialises in board games, table top games and all kinds of nerd culture.
They expressed frustration at the prospect of the redevelopment saying “the moment we finally got everything in place and everything's good and golden, that's when they pull the rug out from under us.”
The shop also cited a similar issue to Coffee Tots, with almost extortionate rent and fuel prices due to the cost of living crisis; moving seems financially unviable. They say, “The other main problem is that with all the developments around here, there's not many places to move into and the few places that we can move are ridiculously expensive.”
In a proposal by the developer of the regeneration, Shearer Property Regen Limited (SPRL), they state that they have submitted a planning application to the council following consultation with local groups and organisations.
Proposed area of redevelopment, Credit: Shearer Property Regen Limited
However, despite the claim by SPRL that local businesses and groups had been consulted, many of the local charities and businesses were offered no support relocating.
Escape Games say they were offered a retail unit once the redevelopment is completed. However, with the eviction date being in May 2023 and estimated completion being in 2033 that is “incredibly unhelpful” say Escape Games.
A second charity in the arcade Steps for Change, which is partially run by the Salvation Army, say they have had no contact from the council in regards to support. Program Manager Lisa Smyth says, “They haven't approached us with anything, there is a lot of uncertainty with people on the ground.”
Coffee Tots, on the other hand, have received some support with Ann saying “thanks to some work by print and radio journalists raising our profile, we have had a good dialogue with the council.”
However, due to the lack of council owned properties, “they might have a heart to give us something on a reasonable rent and to move into that, they just don't own anything suitable”
A look inside Coffee Tots.
However, despite the bleak outlook for many including Coffee Tots, Ann is generally supportive of the redevelopment stating that “we see that the redevelopment is needed and the stuff in the city centre that's being redeveloped is lovely”. But in her opinion it is also needed due to “the area that we're in in the city centre, properties are not well insulated. They are behind in repairs and they need a lot of repairs.”
As of the time of writing, Coffee Tots and other local organisations search for a new home continues. But until the eviction day in May 2023, they continue to operate at full capacity and continue to hold out hope that the redevelopment doesn’t disrupt their essential services.