Improving the economic prosperity of the city and region

oventry’s work to stage safe, enjoyable public events has been recognised in a national awards scheme.

The City Council’s Event Safety Advisory Group has been shortlisted in the Local Government Chronicle (LGC) Awards 2023.

For more information on this story, click here.

Coventry City Council is set to deliver a balanced budget for the year ahead – with no planned cuts to services.

The proposed budget for April 2023-March 2024 will go before councillors for approval later this month and has been achieved despite a continuing lack of Government funding to help cope with the cost of living crisis.

Councillors will hear there is a proposed rise in Council Tax of just under 3%, with a 2% adult social care precept to address the rising costs of care in the city. When Police and Fire Service rises are added, the actual increase to bills is expected to be just over 5% - about £1.65 a week for a typical Coventry household.

For more information about the budget, click here.

Work is underway to re-site the Coventry Cross to near Holy Trinity Church. The restoration and installation of the Cross will mean the monument – previously in Cuckoo Lane – will have greater prominence and will be close to its original location. The Cross will have stained glass windows cut into it in the style of Holy Trinity Church allowing you to see inside the structure. Inside will be a replica of the Henry VI statue which was part of the original Cross. The replica has made by a local company HPL Prototypes. The original, which was built in 1544, is now in the Herbert.

Coventry City Council’s Cabinet Member for Arts and Culture has hailed the impact that external funding has had on the city because of its year as UK City of Culture.

Cllr David Welsh made the comments following news that the City of Culture Trust, that delivered activities during the year and is responsible for delivering a cultural legacy, is facing an uncertain financial future.

For more information on this story, click here.

Coventry City Council is set to spend £1.8m to improve areas of the city centre, including the settings of major events venues and attractions. The proposed work will include improving both the visual appearance and the security of the areas. The work will focus on improving security and lighting and refreshing areas around Broadgate, The Upper Precinct, Priory Place and the Cathedral.

Click here for more information.

Earlsdon has been selected as a pilot project to develop Coventry’s first liveable neighbourhood, using funding from Active Travel England. A Liveable Neighbourhood is somewhere where the streets are designed around people rather than traffic, enhancing the attractiveness of the neighbourhood and providing a better quality of life for the people who live and work there.

Click here to learn more about the initiative and to share your thoughts on the project.

From 1 April 2023, business rates are changing.

The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) regularly updates the rateable values of all businesses and the other non-domestic properties (properties that are not just private homes) in England and Wales. This is called a revaluation. Rateable values are the amount of rent a property could have been let for on a set valuation date. For the 2023 revaluation, that date was 1 April 2021. Rateable values are used by councils to calculate business rates bills. Revaluations are carried out to reflect changes in the property market, which means that business rates bills are based on more up-to-date information. The next revaluation will come into effect on 1 April 2023.

Finding your rateable value

You are now able to see the future rateable value for your property and get an estimate of what your 2023/24 business rates bill may be. You can do this through the VOA's Find a Business Rates Valuation Service on GOV.UK.

SMEs in Coventry can apply for funding and support as part of our Coventry & Warwickshire Innovation Programme. Support is provided for developing and testing new products, for acquiring IP, finance up to £100k, networking opportunities and workshops and 1:1 support. Watch this short video with local business Feraru Dynamics and Councillor Jim O'Boyle to find out more.