MBE for Historic Coventry Trust Chairman

The Chairman of Historic Coventry Trust has been honoured in the New Year’s Honours list.
Regeneration specialist Ian Harrabin has been made an MBE for services to heritage and regeneration in Coventry.
In addition to his work as managing director of Complex Development Projects (CDP), the 57-year-old chartered surveyor is heading up the charity leading the revival of Coventry’s historic buildings, and is also trustee of City of Culture 2021.
Ian joined with the local community in 2011 to found Historic Coventry Trust (formerly Coventry Charterhouse Preservation Trust) to save Coventry’s Charterhouse, a former Carthusian Monastery founded by Richard II in 1385.
The Charterhouse now forms the centrepiece of plans for a new 70 acre Heritage Park – a £15million project that will provide an exceptional landscape next to the city centre.
The charity has grown in aspiration to become a National Trust for Coventry with the aim of preserving all heritage at risk for future generations and bringing buildings back into productive economic, cultural and social use and has recently taken ownership of 22 historic buildings from Coventry City Council.
Ian said “The award is a recognition of efforts of the very many people from all walks of life that I have worked with over many years towards the aim of making Coventry a great place again.
“For the first time in my life, this is really within our grasp and it just shows that there are no limits to what we can achieve by working together. Everyone has their own individual talents and by combining together we have become a pretty unstoppable force for good.”