A half way report published by the Government’s Urban Task Force shows that Coventry City Council is on the right track when it comes to breathing new life back into urban areas, creating a living environment that people can enjoy and be proud of.

* The report published by the Government's Urban Task Force, entitled Urban Renaissance - Sharing the Vision, lists a series of concerns, challenges and issues that face towns and cities all across England. Many of the points raised are things that Coventry is already tackling head on including issues of.

* Urban design - to bring about quality not quantity projects to enhance people's lives

* Land use an banning - to make it easier to develop on urban recycled land and harder to develop on greenfield locations

* Land assembly

* Recycling land and buildings - including brownfield and derelict sites

Councillor Bob Waugh who chairs the Economic Affairs Policy Co-ordinating Committee said,

"As a city council we are working hard to ensure that Coventry prospers economically, socially and environmentally. Ninety five per cent of us live in towns and cities and we must make sure that we bring together the real necessities of life homes, jobs, leisure, shopping and community in ways that enhance the overall qualities of people's lives now and for future generations.

"From the regeneration of brownfield and derelict sites such as Arena 2000 on the Foleshill Gasworks Site to the protection of valuable greenfield sites. From the rebirth of the city centre to the regeneration of local communities such as Hillfields and Foleshill there is no doubt that our projects are helping to create a city that everyone can be proud of, that everyone feels part of and that everyone can enjoy."

Led by Lord Rogers of Riverside, The Urban Task Force was set up in 1998 to identify ways of recreating urban areas which respond to people's current needs and future aspirations. And over the last six months it has been engaged in an intense programme of public consultation with a wide range of groups to identify why there is a problem in English towns and cities, to find out what sort of place people want to live in and to find out how we achieve well-designed sustainable urban communities.