A former community champion was remembered today when the first street sign in Coventry's £360m Spirit Quarters redevelopment was set in place in his honour.
Tipton Way was named after Roger Tipton, who passed away in 2009 after serving ten years as resident chair on the New Deal for Communities (NDC) Partnership Board.
Members of the Regeneration Action Team, a group of local residents involved in the housing redevelopment, decided to pay tribute to Roger by naming the first new road in the redevelopment after him.
Ian Tipton, a relative of Roger Tipton said: "To have this street named after Roger is a fitting tribute to the hard work he carried out in the community. He was a simple man who got immense pleasure from seeing positive changes to his local neighbourhood and his memory still lives on today."
The Spirit Quarters housing redevelopment kicked off in June 2010 following years of critical planning amongst partners and residents, of which Roger played a key role.
Kevin Roach, Project Director for Spirit Quarters, said: “Roger always worked closely with partners and residents to ensure the success of the regeneration in this area. He would have been extremely proud of what residents have achieved since he left us and that despite a tough housing market, we are all pushing ahead and creating an area where people want to come and live.”
Five new street names were picked last year when residents, including a group of 20 Junior Street Champions, were invited by Whitefriars and the Regeneration Action Team to choose names for the new streets being built around the former Deedmore Primary School site. Tipton Way was the first name to be selected, followed by Dragonfly Drive, Butterfly Walk, Kingfisher Close and Cray Fish Close.
Alan Tyrrell, a close friend of Roger and Chairman of Henley Green Residents Association said: "Roger was completely dedicated to serving his community and I know he would have been touched by this tribute. Having Tipton Way named after him is a truly memorable way to remember his spirit."
Spirit Quarters ‘Coventry’s New Place of Pride’ is one of the largest housing regeneration schemes in the Midlands and is being delivered through a partnership made up of Whitefriars Housing, Coventry City Council, the Homes and Communities Agency, Moat House Community Trust and a developer consortium - Bovis Homes, Keepmoat Homes and Westbury Partnerships.
154 new homes are mid-way through build and the second phase of 230 new homes is due to start soon. Throughout the life of the scheme more than 3,000 new homes will be built across the four estates of Wood End, Henley Green, Manor Farm and Deedmore.
