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City Centre South reaches major milestone as first tower begins to rise. A major milestone has been reached at Coventry's transformational City Centre South regeneration project developed by The Hill Group, with the first tower now rising from the ground following the completion of demolition and extensive groundworks across the site. Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, Councillor George Duggins, Leader of Coventry Council and Councillor Lynnette Kelly, Coventry City Council's Cabinet Member for Jobs, Regeneration and Climate Change, joined Andy Hill OBE, Founder and Chief Executive of The Hill Group, and Regional Director, Stuart Bale, alongside Paul Loader, Director of Delivery & Aftercare at Legal & General, to celebrate the progress being made. The start of construction marks a significant step forward for one of the UK's most ambitious city centre regeneration projects, paving the way for the transformation of Coventry city centre over the coming years. Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, said: "City Centre South is exactly the sort of ambitious regeneration project that will help drive growth, create jobs and deliver the homes its region needs. Seeing the tower rise is a clear sign that progress is being made and this long-awaited development is becoming a reality. "Importantly, this first building includes 200 affordable homes, making it easier to get good quality housing right in the middle of Coventry. And with the skills hub recently opened on site, we are helping to train and offer job opportunities to local people too." Under an agreement with Legal & General, Hill is delivering the affordable homes in this first phase of the regeneration, comprising 145 homes for social rent and 55 for Shared Ownership. These new homes will help to address local housing need while providing high-quality homes for people and families in Coventry. Andy Hill OBE, Founder and Group Chief Executive of The Hill Group, said: "Seeing the first tower emerge from the ground is an incredibly exciting moment for everyone involved in the project at City Centre South. After years of planning, preparation, and with demolition and groundworks now complete, local people can now start to see tangible progress being made on site and the vision for this part of Coventry becoming a reality." The milestone follows significant demolition works, enabling and infrastructure works across the site, allowing construction of the first residential building to progress at pace. Paul Loader, Director of Delivery & Aftercare at Legal & General, said: "This is an important milestone for us and a visible sign of the progress being made. Through our partnership with Hill, we're proud to be delivering the first 200 affordable homes here, helping more people access high-quality housing while supporting the wider regeneration of Coventry city centre. Through our role in delivering these affordable homes, we are pleased to support a partnership that is focused on meeting local housing need, contributing to affordable housing targets and bringing forward energy-efficient homes that will benefit Coventry for the long term." City Centre South is transforming a large section of Coventry city centre, delivering up to 1,575 new homes, alongside vibrant public spaces, shops, restaurants, cafés and commercial opportunities. The first phase of the regeneration will provide 991 new homes, 8,000 square metres of commercial space and 17,000 square metres of public open space. As construction accelerates, the development is also creating employment and training opportunities for local people through a range of initiatives including The Skills Centre, which was recently launched to help local residents gain the qualifications needed to access careers in construction. Councillor Lynnette Kelly, Cabinet Member for Jobs, Regeneration and Climate Change at Coventry City Council, said: "This is a landmark moment for Coventry. Over the last few months the City Centre South site has been transformed, and people can see it taking shape before their eyes. This development will bring lasting benefits for generations to come. And of course, it will also enable us to make some improvements to the market, which we know is really important to local people and the traders." Naeem Akhtar, cabinet member for housing and communities, said, "The first tower rising from the ground represents much more than construction progress; it marks the delivery of much-needed affordable homes for local people, demonstrating our commitment to creating a city centre where people from all backgrounds can live, work and thrive."

L&G announces appointment of Ludovic Le Du as Global Head of ETF and Index Distribution. Published on 10/06/2026 S&P Capital IQ L&G announced the appointment of Ludovic Le Du as Global Head of ETF and Index Distribution. He will be responsible for the global distribution and expansion of L&G's ETF and Index business, driving growth across channels and geographies in indexed, systematic, and actively managed strategies. Le Du joins from State Street Investment Management, where, as Managing Director, he was Head of Intermediary Client Coverage for Northern Europe, France, Belgium, and Luxembourg. He has spent nearly two decades working in the ETF sector, including roles with Source ETF and Lyxor Asset Management. Le Du brings a successful track record of transforming early stage, fast growing and established ETF businesses and leading distribution teams across multiple jurisdictions and client segments. L&G manages $900 billion in index assets, as part of its $1.6 trillion asset management business1. Building on its position as one of the world's largest index managers, L&G continues to expand its ETF and index capabilities across global markets. This appointment follows continued momentum for its ETF business which has surpassed $30 billion during a year in which total ETF assets under management rose by approximately 50%2. Providing access to sophisticated and cost-effective investment strategies is an important part of L&G's approach and recent product innovation is continuing with a suite of Active ETFs expected later this year. As L&G explores opportunities to extend its ETF franchise beyond Europe, into the US and other markets, Le Du will play a significant role in shaping its global ETF & Index distribution strategy. Le Du will report to Laura Brown, Head of Public Markets Distribution, while working closely with L&G's Global Head of Index and ETFs, David Barron, and regional channel heads. (C) S&P Capital IQ - 2026

L&G selects Pauline Plunkett to lead European asset strategy as managing director. Joined L&G in 2014. L&G has promoted Pauline Plunkett to managing director, Europe, with responsibility for the firm's asset management business across Europe ex-UK. To continue reading this article... Join investment week today. Free for those involved in advising, managing and/or analysing investments or £1 per day for professionals outside of these roles.