Hillfields

Hillfields is a suburb of Coventry in the West Midlands of England. It is situated north of Coventry city centre, and has undergone a series of name changes throughout its history originally called "Harnall" and has seen itself change from a village, to a remote suburb, to a large postwar redevelopment zone. Hillfields is one of the areas of the city with the highest number of refugees. Originally Irish communities, South Asian and West Indian communities settled in the mid 20th century. Hillfields used to be home to Coventry City Football Club on the Highfield Road stadium until the club relocated to the Coventry Building Society Arena. Hillfields is also home to Sidney Stringer Academy and it additionally includes Primrose Hill Park.

Hillfields is a suburb of Coventry in the West Midlands of England. It is situated north of Coventry city centre, and has undergone a series of name changes throughout its history originally called "Harnall" and has seen itself change from a village, to a remote suburb, to a large postwar redevelopment zone. Hillfields is one of the areas of the city with the highest number of refugees. Originally Irish communities, South Asian and West Indian communities settled in the mid 20th century. Hillfields used to be home to Coventry City Football Club on the Highfield Road stadium until the club relocated to the Coventry Building Society Arena. Hillfields is also home to Sidney Stringer Academy and it additionally includes Primrose Hill Park. ==Second World War destruction and redevelopment== The war saw Hillfields being bombed by the Luftwaffe due to its industrial nature. During the war, 192 houses in Hillfields were totally destroyed or demolished and nearly 1450 were seriously damaged. During the post-war period, the population of the area halved due to relocation. The Town and Country Planning Act 1944 allowed local authorities to declare Areas of Comprehensive Development, and Hillfields was declared one of three in Coventry in 1951. It was declared that 53% of the houses were unfit to live in within the next five years, and this gave the local authorities the right to use Compulsory Purchase Orders on the properties. Redevelopment of the area began in the early 1960s with the intention of housing a population of 6,000 people¹ in high-density areas. Halfway through the decade, three mid-rise tower blocks had been completed, with two more larger ones being under construction and in planning. Upon the completion of the construction, thirteen tower blocks had been built. Some of these tower blocks have since been demolished. By 1970, it was estimated that less than 50% of properties in Hillfields had access to hot water and an indoor toilet and bath. In the 1970s, the view changed and the aim was to modernise and improve the existing older houses. An area once proposed for clearance was designated "General Improvement Area" status, which allowed residents a budget for improving the environment and house. The final council housing estate was built in 1979 in the Brook Street area. The housing improvement scheme also ended in the 1980s with grants being offered to those in most need of care instead of whole areas. In 1899, Coventry City Football Club built a stadium at Highfield Road in the area. They played there for 106 years until 2005 when they relocated to the Ricoh Arena at Foleshill. The stadium was demolished the following year and redeveloped for housing, although the pitch was retained as public open space. The Mercer's Arms pub was for many years a jazz venue, hosting both the local 1920s/30s-style Dud Clews Jazz Orchestra and modern-jazz musicians who would travel from London. It was demolished in the early 2000s. ==Education== Sidney Stringer Academy is the coeducational secondary school for the area. There was a large fire at the school on 25 September 2007 in which about 60% of the school was burnt down.

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