Coventry City Council to speak at our 'Cultural Cities' event

Image: CGI of remodelling of the former IKEA store in Coventry which is to be turned into cultural art gallery and storage for the Cultural Gateway Project, courtesy of Buttress

Future Cities Forum is delighted that Andy Williams, Director for Regeneration and Economy at Coventry City Council, will be speaking at our 'Cultural Cities' event this June at the Barbican in the City of London. He has 20 years of experience working in the public sector and with the private, voluntary, community sectors to drive economic growth and development for Coventry and Warwickshire.  

Andy has played a lead role in bringing in over £500m of Regeneration funding to the City and wider conurbation and delivering regeneration programmes to bring in new inward investment, create jobs and grow the business base across the City. 

Recognised for his broad experience of influencing government economic policy, Andy has worked with multiple government departments on wide ranging agendas including automotive and energy related initiatives with BEIS, local neighbourhood and regeneration with MHCLG and more recently regional economic growth and devolution with the Cities and Local Growth unit. He has secured over a £130m to locate the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre to Coventry. 

Over the last four years Andy has driven the Council’s approach to tackling the consequences of climate change, helping to shape and set up the Coventry Climate Change Board, the procurement of a Strategic Energy Partner for the City and Co-Chairing the Council’s Green Futures Board. 

Andy is also overseeing the Council’s work with Sports, Culture, Events and Tourism, overseeing the largest capital programme focused on cultural assets in the City and as project sponsor for the transformational Cultural Gateway Project in the former IKEA Building.

The BBC reports that the Ikea store in Coventry shut in 2020 and its leasehold was bought by the city council. Details of the plans have been revealed after a change of use for the building and external alterations were approved. It stated:

'The seven-floor structure was left empty after the furniture and homeware giant announced it was closing the store due to low customer numbers and high costs.

'Plans to turn the building into the City Centre Cultural Gateway were drawn up and put out to public consultation in February.

'Funding from what is known as prudential borrowing, external was agreed by councillors in March, but the amount needed was not made public due to commercial confidentiality.

'The council has said work on the cultural hub will take place in three phrases.

'Part of the building will be used as storage for collections owned by groups such as Arts Council England and the British Council, while the fifth and sixth floors will be turned into a gallery, library and other arts facilities by Coventry University.

'Coventry group CV Life will use the ground floor for storage, while the internal car parking space will be enclosed and "future-proofed" by the authority, so work can start to examine how the area can be used.

'The plans will also see the exterior given a new black and gold makeover.'