Innovation and ideas to change the world

Birthplace of the motor car, home to Lady Godiva, and a centre of international peace and reconciliation; once a medieval walled city and now a multi-cultural city of innovation, Coventry is famous throughout the world.

Our Past...

Leofric, Earl of Mercia and his wife Godiva founded a church on a scattered settlement here in the 1040s.

By the end of the 14th Century, Coventry was the fourth most powerful city in England . A major centre of pilgrimage and the first city to be granted a Royal Charter, it enjoyed enormous wealth - but within 50 years, a crisis in the wool and cloth trade devastated the local economy.

During the Civil War, the city was passionately pro-Parliamentarian and was used as a stronghold to house Royalist prisoners - hence the term 'Sent to Coventry '. Before the Industrial Revolution, Coventry was a centre of ribbon weaving, but the introduction of mechanised looms created extreme poverty. Watch-making rose and declined, and from the 1860s a new industry arrived in the city when the Coventry Machinists company switched from making sewing machines to cycles. Coventry went on to become the cycle capital of the world. By the end of the century Daimler started to produce cars in the city, laying foundations for the city's 20th century expansion. Soon the city was to become home to some of the world's most famous motor manufacturers including Triumph, Standard, Riley, Hillman, Humber and Jaguar along with the growth of aviation-related industries, machine tooling, specialist manufacturing etc.

It was this industrial strength that was to lead to the city becoming a target during World War II. In November 1940 the city was subjected to the single most concentrated attack on a British city during the course of the war. The great medieval church of St Michael 's became the only cathedral in the country to be destroyed in the conflict.

In 1962, the new cathedral, designed by Basil Spence, was consecrated.

More than any other British city during the 1970s and 1980s, Coventry felt the devastating impact of economic change. That's when the really hard work had to begin.

Our Present...

The city's business and science parks are some of the most successful in the Midlands and links with Europe are thriving. New bars and eating-houses have sprung up in the historic Cathedral Quarter. A huge entertainment and leisure complex now stands on a site where factories once were. The Transport Museum has the biggest collection of British-made cars, motorcycles and bicycles in the world.

The city's economy has changed dramatically over the last 30 years - very much driven by the Council's commitment to partnership working with all sectors within the city.

- AND EVEN BETTER FUTURE...

CITY LEADERSHIP

Coventry has a strong civic tradition tracing back to the 14th century that it still maintains today. The Local Government Act of 1888 established Coventry as a county borough allowing the city to retain self-governance. A number of boundary extensions in 1890, 1898, 1932, 1965 and 1974 reflected the expansion of the city into neighbouring rural areas, some of which had been part of the pre-1842 County of Coventry . In 1974, some areas of the Council's work passed to the newly created West Midlands County Council and when the County Council was abolished in 1986 some of the duties passed back to the City Council.

The Lord Mayor

In 1953 the city was granted a Lord Mayor after the City Council petitioned the Queen. This role continues to this day, with the Lord Mayor representing the Council locally, nationally and internationally throughout his or her year of office, supporting fund raising for a charity during their year of office and playing host to visiting dignitaries, including, in March 2000. There has been a Mayor or Coventry since 1353.

The Coventry Partnership

The Coventry Partnership is the city's Local Strategic Partnership and developed out of the City Forum. It brings together people from voluntary sector organisations across the city, communities and businesses, the leaders of the public services in the city and elected councillors. They work together to improve the quality of life in Coventry and for the people who live here.

The Coventry Community Plan

The Coventry Sustainable Community Strategy (formerly the Community Plan) is the key planning document that the Coventry Partnership is using to improve local services in Coventry and at the same time, narrow the gap between our priority neighbourhoods and communities and the rest of the City.

The strategy features ten main themes that Coventry people have told us matter most to them:

Economy, Learning, Skills and Employment
Health, well-being and Independence
Community Safety
Cleaner, greener streets and open spaces
Children and Young People
Housing
Transport
Culture, Sport and Physical Activity
Equality of opportunity and involved, cohesive communities and neighbourhoods
Making a positive environmental contribution and tackling climate change