A NEW pathway which runs through the heart of Coventry has been opened.
The £5 million walkway between Gosford Street, the Coventry University Engineering and Computing Building, and old Whitefriars Monastery features seating areas, new lighting and larger pond.
The route, which incorporates new entrances to the Council’s car parks, has been designed to improve safety with additional lighting and full CCTV coverage.
Welcoming the completion of the project on time and on budget, David Soutter, deputy vice-chancellor of Coventry University, said it had ‘totally transformed’ the area of the city and the University campus.
He added: “There had been a lot of development in the area, but with Gosford Street and the elevated ring road and the car-parks it needed some radical work.
“This scheme has changed it beyond all recognition and is now the perfect environment for everyone who uses it.
“Not only is it a very pleasant space to spend time in, but it forms a perfect link between key parts of the University and the city.
“The Council and the University have invested heavily in the public realm in recent years and that, combined with the insistence that all projects should be of the highest quality, is making a telling difference to the city centre.”
Coventry’s Lord Mayor, Coun Michael Hammon, also attended the official opening of the walkway – finishing off the nine-month project by planting a tree.
Echoing Mr Soutter’s praise for the development, Councillor Rachel Lancaster, cabinet member for public services at Coventry City Council, said: “We have created a wonderful new connection between Gosford Street and our wonderful historic Whitefriars as well as the University’s engineering and computing building.”
