Award-winning housebuilder The Hill Group, and its commercial specialist partner, Shearer Property Group (SGP), have commenced archaeological works ahead of the first phase of development of City Centre South, a landmark £450m regeneration scheme that will transform Coventry city centre. These essential preliminary works will ensure the heritage of the site is understood, recorded, and preserved prior to the start of construction.

A team of archaeologists from Cotswold Archaeology has begun a survey of the site with trenches taking place in various locations, starting in the Barracks car park before moving to Bull Yard and Shelton Square. The works are estimated to take seven to eight weeks to complete, and disruption to businesses and visitors will be kept to a minimum. The task will include the excavation of 23 trial trenches of varying sizes and depths, seeking to locate the line of the historic city wall as well as identify any other archaeological remains. Items of significance found during the works will be logged, protected, and covered for further investigation until the site has been cleared.

Hill and SGP are working closely with Coventry City Council and West Midlands Police to ensure that emergency protocols are in place should the trenching unearth any unexploded ordnance that remains as a result of the city's bombing during the Second World War.

Andy Fancy, Managing Director at The Hill Group comments: “We are committed to carrying out the archaeological investigation works at City Centre South both safely and sensitively to protect any historical findings before the start of construction. These works are a routine part of the development process and essential due to the development's location at the heart of Coventry's historic centre.”

Visiting the site as the dig began, Councillor Jim O'Boyle, cabinet member for jobs, regeneration, and climate change at Coventry City Council said: “I'm pleased that this work is underway – along with the work to relocate Shopmobility to a new location at Salt Lane car park it's the first visible work on site."

“This work to map and record information is important and Hill and SPG are very experienced so I'm sure it will be done efficiently and carefully with the data used to help support future stages.”

Almost a thousand homes have been given the green light in this first phase of City Centre South, including 200 affordable homes, along with space for shops, businesses, and public open space in a pedestrian-friendly quarter. The new development, designed by acclaimed architecture firm Allies and Morrison, introduces a contemporary style that takes its inspiration from Coventry's heritage. Conveniently located within a five-minute walk of Coventry train station, the development forms a major element of the wider masterplan for the regeneration of the city.

Construction at City Centre South is scheduled to start in the autumn, with the first homes expected to be completed in early 2027.

For further information visit City Centre South

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About The Hill Group

Hill is an award-winning housebuilder and one of the leading developers in London, the home counties, and the South.

The company is renowned for its partnership ethos, specialising in the building of distinctive new places and communities where people want to live, work, and socialise. It is now in the process of opening new regional offices to facilitate growth in the Midlands and the South West.

In its 25th year, this family-owned and operated company has grown to establish itself as the UK's second-largest privately-owned housebuilder, with an impressive and diverse portfolio of projects ranging from landmark, mixed-use regenerations, and inner-city apartment developments to homes in rural communities. 

Employing over 800 staff, the company operates from six strategically located regional offices, with its head office based in Waltham Abbey, Essex. 

Hill anticipates completing over 2,900 homes this financial year and has a controlled land bank with planning consent for over 8,500 homes. Around half of its portfolio is in joint ventures to deliver a range of mixed-tenure developments, reflecting Hill's commitment to partnerships with government, local authorities, housing associations, and private clients. 

Since the company was founded in 1999, Hill has won over 500 industry awards, including the esteemed titles of WhatHouse? Housebuilder of the Year in 2015, 2020, and most recently in 2023, when it also won the Best Large Housebuilder accolade in its first year entering the category. Rubicon, Hill's innovative and beautifully designed development at Knights Park in Eddington, Cambridge, has been recognised with four prestigious WhatHouse? Awards in 2023, including gold awards for Best Development and Best Exterior Design. Rubicon also won Best Design for Four Storeys or More at the 2023 Housebuilder Awards. The Beech, a stunning contemporary home at Marleigh, won the Best Family Home award at the Evening Standard New Homes Awards 2023 and silver in the Best House category at the WhatHouse? Awards in the same year.

In addition, Hill's dedication to delivering the highest quality homes and exceptional customer service has earned the housebuilder its 5-star status in the Home Builders Federation's annual Customer Satisfaction Survey for the past seven years. 

The Hill Group is donating 200 fully equipped modular homes to local authorities and homeless charities as part of a £15 million pledge through its Foundation 200 programme, launched in 2019 to mark Hill's 20th anniversary.

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For more information, contact The Oracle Group PR Agency on Tel: 020 8394 2821 or hill@oraclepr.co.uk

About Shearer Property Group (SPG)

Shearer Property Group is a development and investment company with a focus on major urban regeneration projects. Established in 1995, the company has been involved with more than 3 million square feet of mixed-use development.

As urban regeneration specialists, the team is adept at dealing with complex city centre projects, managing the risks and maximising the benefits for local communities.

Our experience includes award-winning projects such as Southgate Centre in Bath, Grand Arcade in Cambridge, Parkway in Newbury and the former Dickins & Jones department store in Regent Street, London.

SPG has ten years' experience on projects in Coventry, having reinvented Cathedral Lanes as a lively new food and beverage quarter, introducing popular bars and restaurants like The Botanist, Cosy Club and Wagamama. In collaboration with the Council, the Upper Precinct has been transformed into a vibrant and attractive public space, including the removal of 'The Elephants Trunk'.