Global spotlight for Nuneaton and Leamington investment opportunities

Four sites which could help transform Nuneaton town centre are in the spotlight at a major international property show this week.

And plans for a new Creative Quarter in Leamington are also going before the huge audience at the four-day MIPIM show in Cannes which will attract more than 21,000 delegates from across the globe as cities and regions market development opportunities to all sectors of the property industry.

Warwickshire County Council is there, having joined with Coventry in a MIPIM Partnership which has seen a group of companies and organisations fund its presence, run a stand and host a number of events.

The message to visitors from far and wide is that Warwickshire is a great place to base a business - with opportunities all around the county.

The Nuneaton sites, earmarked by Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council and Warwickshire County Council, are: The car parks and land opposite the Justice Centre on Vicarage Street (1.67 hectares); Abbey Street car park (1.4 hectares); Nuneaton bus station (1.16 hectares) and the square outside Nuneaton railway station. They are suitable for retail and mixed use and both authorities believe their development would bring improved amenities for residents, create jobs and new foot links around the town for pedestrians.

Izzi Seccombe, Leader of Warwickshire County Council, added: “Promoting the borough and its pipeline of commercial and residential development will help the international property community to better understand the great opportunities that Nuneaton and the wider borough presents.

"There is no better stage for that than MIPIM, and Coventry and Warwickshire has a very good platform at the show."

Dennis Harvey, leader of Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council, said: “Nuneaton and Bedworth has so much going for it, and we need to get this message out to the property development community. There is no better way to do that than by putting the borough on the world stage.

“The vision is for the town centre to have a diverse range of uses and be a vibrant, community bursting with activity. This includes a mixture of independent, national and specialist stores, combined with places where people of all ages can spend their leisure time during the day or evening."

In addition to the latest investment opportunities, plans are being prepared for around 10,000 homes and 52 hectares of new employment land to be developed within Nuneaton and Bedworth in the next 15 years

Visitors to MIPIM will also see plans for a new £31 million Creative Quarter in Leamington, building on the town’s strengths as a centre of creative industries and its national Silicon Spa reputation.

Warwick District Council is seeking a regeneration partner to bring forward plans to restore and develop the northern part of Old Town, including Spencer Yard and the Royal Pump Rooms and create new spaces and facilities for creative industries – and around 300 jobs.

The district council is hoping the Creative Quarter regeneration programme will see the restoration of several key buildings, radically improve the transport routes and environment from the railway station to the town centre and also create a much-improved gateway to the town. It is hoping to win £13 million of public funding but attracting a regeneration partner with experience of niche or complex projects is key to the success of the scheme.

Bill Hunt, deputy chief executive of Warwick District Council, said: “We have a thriving creative community in Leamington Spa, and our digital gaming companies have a national and international reputation which is constantly growing. We know there is potential for that to grow and to continue to bring a positive impact to the local economy.

“The area we are looking at is in need of substantial regeneration and contains landmark buildings that need to be preserved or restored. We see that work and the creation of a Creative Quarter as a natural marriage.

“We want to unlock the commercial and cultural potential of what is an important but underdeveloped area. It is badly in need of investment to re-establish its economic value, character, and functionality and this can be done through careful land assembly, imaginative building, remodelling and refurbishment."