Coventry’s £450m regeneration moves ahead with archaeological works

Housebuilder The Hill Group and its commercial specialist partner Shearer Property Group (SGP) have started archaeological works ahead of the first phase of development of City Centre South, a £450m regeneration scheme that will transform Coventry city centre. 

These preliminary works will ensure the heritage of the site is understood, recorded and preserved prior to the start of construction.

A team of archaeologists from Cotswold Archaeology has begun a survey of the site with excavation trenches taking place in various locations, starting in the Barracks car park before moving to Bull Yard and Shelton Square. 

The works are estimated to take seven to eight weeks to complete, with disruption to businesses and visitors to be kept to a minimum. 

The work will include the excavation of 23 trial trenches of varying sizes and depths, seeking to locate the line of the historic city wall as well as identify any other archaeological remains.

Items of significance found during the works will be logged, protected, and covered for further investigation until the site has been cleared.

Hill and SGP are working closely with Coventry City Council and West Midlands Police to ensure that emergency protocols are in place should the trenching unearth any unexploded ordnance that remains because of the city’s bombing during the Second World War.

Andy Fancy, managing director at The Hill Group, said: “We are committed to carrying out the archaeological investigation works at City Centre South both safely and sensitively to protect any historical findings before the start of construction. 

“These works are a routine part of the development process and essential due to the development’s location at the heart of Coventry’s historic centre.”

Almost 1,000 homes have been given the green light in this first phase of City Centre South, including 200 affordable homes, along with space for shops, businesses and public open space in a pedestrian-friendly quarter. 

The new development, designed by Allies and Morrison, introduces a contemporary style that takes its inspiration from Coventry’s heritage. 

Construction at City Centre South is scheduled to start in the autumn, with the first homes expected to be completed in early 2027.