In the spirit of Monty Python, this might have been the question asked by members of Coventry City Council’s Scrutiny Co-ordinating Committee during April.
In response, the snappily named West Midlands Combined Authority came to their meeting to tell them.
In a 27-page presentation with 3700 words, West Midlands officers “briefed” councillors on the many things that the Authority was doing in Coventry. Much of it was written in a language called “corporate speak” which we are confident that the councillors would have no problem in understanding, but we struggled a little.
We thought that you might be interested in hearing the answer to this important question, but unfortunately Google Translate was not up to the task.
So instead, we asked ChatGPT to answer the question for us.
And this is the answer……
The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) plays a significant role in Coventry’s development, focusing on regeneration, transportation, environmental sustainability, and skills enhancement.
Urban Regeneration and Housing
- City Centre South Project: WMCA approved an additional £12.24 million to advance this major redevelopment, aiming to transform areas like Bull Yard, Shelton Square, City Arcade, and Hertford Street into vibrant spaces with new homes, shops, and leisure facilities.
- Spon End Regeneration: In collaboration with Coventry City Council and Citizen Housing, WMCA is supporting the creation of energy-efficient, affordable homes, enhancing the local community.
Transportation and Infrastructure
- Coventry Railway Station: WMCA contributed £39.4 million towards the £82 million redevelopment, modernizing the station to better serve passengers.
- Very Light Rail (VLR) Project: WMCA is funding the development of a pioneering VLR system, with a 220-meter test track under construction to demonstrate cost-effective and sustainable urban transit solutions.
- Cycleway Along HS2 Route: The WMCA Mayor has advocated for a 21-mile cycleway between Birmingham and Coventry along the HS2 route, aiming to promote health, wellbeing, and economic growth. [This proposal doesn’t actually go through Coventry, and may no longer be a priority since the change of Mayor]
- [The authority spends also spends £2 Million a year subsidizing public transport in Coventry.]
Environmental Initiatives
- Net Zero Neighbourhoods: WMCA’s demonstrator programme focuses on retrofitting homes to reduce carbon emissions, contributing to the goal of achieving net zero by 2041. [The first neighbourhood is Hillfields]
- Regional Energy System Operator (RESO) Project: Led by WMCA’s Energy Capital, this initiative aims to develop a smart energy system in Coventry, integrating low-carbon energy generation and storage.
Skills and Employment
- Training and Apprenticeships: WMCA has launched employment schemes to create 20,000 training and apprenticeship placements, focusing on addressing high unemployment and improving regional productivity.
Economic Development
- Coventry-Warwick Gigapark: WMCA approved £21 million to support the development of Greenpower Park, a 5.7 million sq ft hub for battery manufacturing and research, expected to create up to 6,000 jobs.
Through these initiatives, WMCA is actively contributing to Coventry’s growth, aiming to enhance the city’s infrastructure, economy, and quality of life for its residents.
This ChatGPT response seems to provide a simplified, but reasonable summary of the work of the Combined Authority in Coventry. We hope you like it!
You can read the full report, all 27 pages of it, here.
