Final heritage shopfront completed in historic Coventry street

The final heritage shopfront has been completed in Historic Coventry Trust’s award-winning regeneration of one of the few intact historic streets in Coventry’s city centre.

The ground-breaking programme to restore or replace 20 shopfronts in The Burges and Hales Street has been finished with further work undertaken to the fabric of the buildings.

The transformed shop is Oodles restaurant at 28 The Burges where the shopfront has been replaced with a design that is in keeping with the Conservation Area.

The work at The Burges and Hales Street has been funded by a grant from Historic England as the demonstrator project for its national £95 million High Streets Heritage Action Zone programme with further support from Coventry City Council.

The scheme received a commended award in the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) West Midlands Best Project 2023 awards.

Further work is now underway to restore the rear of the Oodles building which borders the River Sherbourne.

Only two properties in the terrace of buildings which house a variety of independent businesses, Marlboro News and Plaza Studios, have not been restored after their owners declined to be involved in the mostly grant funded regeneration scheme.

Wazeq Mirzad, from the Oodles restaurant, said: “Our city continues to expand, thrive, and firmly establish its identity, all thanks to the visionaries, cultural gems, and forward-thinking people who call Coventry home.
“I'm extremely fortunate to have teamed up with Historic Coventry Trust and Coventry City Council to be a part of this fantastic Burges revival. Historic Coventry Trust are like wizards, working their magic to bring these projects to life right here in Coventry.
“I couldn't be prouder of our wonderful Coventry, and I'm absolutely buzzing with excitement to see the bright and vibrant future that's in store for our city!”

Ian Harrabin, chairman of Historic Coventry Trust, said this had been a challenging initiative to reverse the decline of the Conservation Area following its listing on Historic England’s At Risk Register. 

He said: “Working with the many building owners and tenants, we have made a fantastic improvement to the street and I think the final shopfront completed at Oodles restaurant is the best yet. The works have reversed decades of decline in one of Coventry’s oldest streets.

“None of this would have been possible without the funding providing by Historic England and the enthusiastic support of the council.”

Louise Brennan, Regional Director (Midlands), Historic England, said: “We are delighted with the new shop front at Oodles Restaurant, it complements the existing high-quality repair and refurbishment completed by Historic Coventry Trust – and demonstrates why the transformation of The Burges is a deserved award-winner.”

Cllr Jim O’Boyle, Cabinet Member for Jobs, Regeneration and Climate Change at Coventry City Council, said: “This work is a brilliant example of how we are combining the best of the old and the best of the new and working with partners to support business and restore and retain some of the best features in one of the city centre’s most vibrant streets.

“The work really has been transformative, supporting the regeneration of the street and helping to make sure it is thriving area for local businesses, local people and visitors from further afield.”