Major transformation of one of city’s oldest shopping streets moves forward
A £2m transformation of one of Coventry’s oldest shopping streets is underway to help revive the city and support business recovery after Coronavirus.
Behind the scaffolding, local specialist craftspeople Heron Consulting and Symon Construction and conservation architects at Corstorphine + Wright have been working to restore the historic fronts of the buildings and shops on the Burges and Hales Street.
Historic Coventry Trust (HCT) was given the major grant for the Burges and Hales Street by the Department for Digital, Culture Media & Sport (DCMS) as a demonstrator project for its £95m High Streets Heritage Action Zone programme, led by Historic England.
Work started on site in February after HCT spent eight months working with the independent businesses and planning the scheme. The project is in partnership with Coventry City Council and Coventry BID and is part of the wider work to get the city ready to host UK City of Culture.
The plans also involve opening up the River Sherbourne on Palmer Lane as a new public square.
Historically, The Burges was the main road running north from the old market place in Coventry’s city centre and its name, which was first documented in 1223, probably comes from “Between the Bridges”.
At the north end of the street a bridge ran over the Radford Brook and to the south the River Sherbourne still runs under the Burges today. In 1794 The Burges was widened and buildings on the eastern side of the street were rebuilt in brick, hiding earlier buildings behind the new facades.
Carol Pyrah, executive director of HCT which was set-up to acquire and restore Coventry’s heritage buildings to preserve them for future generations, said that re-imagining the UK’s high streets was needed more than ever since the Coronavirus pandemic.
She said: “The Burges is one of the few traditional high streets remaining in Coventry and it offers something different and unique because of the number of independent businesses.
“We know how difficult Coronavirus has been for high street businesses, so while everything has been closed our contractors have been working hard, with social distancing safeguards, to restore the buildings. The project will make this area a really attractive and different destination for shopping within the city, and we hope it will boost the businesses based there.
“The transformation will be revealed when the scaffolding comes down in autumn. Attractive historic high streets are reinventing themselves all over the country and we’re delighted that Coventry is leading the way.”
CllrJim O’Boyle at Coventry City Council said: “The Burges is an integral part of Coventry City Centre, and I’m looking forward to seeing the latest aspect of its ongoing regeneration be revealed.
“I’m sure that Coventry’s shoppers will be eager to return to the area and support the thriving local and independent businesses that trade on the street, and see how the area’s unique heritage has been restored and preserved for generations to come.”
