Coventry Sports Centre car park to be turned into £50m accommodation complex for 1,000 students

Plans have been unveiled to build a £50million accommodation complex for 1,000 students on a popular Coventry city centre car park.



Developers CODE Student Housing is set to be given the green light to purchase the leasehold of Cox Street car park, opposite Coventry Sports and Leisure Centre, on Fairfax Street.

The proposals would see the section of the car park nearest to the sports centre, but not under the ring road, transformed into accommodation to meet the needs of the city’s rising student population.

Around 600 cars use the car park everyday, but bosses at Coventry City Council insist the demand for parking - and any loss of car parking income - can be solved by existing capacity at Lower Ford Street, Grove Street and White Street car parks.

Based on the average two-hour stay at a charge of £1.80, the car park currently generates more than £1,000 for the council a day - and more than £394,000 a year.

The council’s decision to sell off the leasehold of the car park is set to be given the green light on Tuesday, February 9, before gaining final approval at full council on February 23.

The developers would then need to seek planning consent for the scheme and it is thought the building could be completed within 16 months of that time.

The plans would leave an estimated 144 car parking spaces under the ring road, down from the 319 currently at the site. Developers have also indicated they could build a 170-space car park under the building - which would be open to the public.

Council figures show the majority of people use the car park when visiting the nearby leisure centre, which is due to close down by 2019.

Officials at the council say more student accommodation is needed with Coventry University expected to increase numbers from 23,000 students currently to 30,000 in the next six years.

They add there are currently 5,000 student beds in the city centre and Coventry University is currently in the process of delivering an additional 2,200 beds across three city centre locations over the next three years.

Coun Kevin Maton, the council’s cabinet member for business, said: “The University of Warwick and Coventry University have continued to thrive and bring in talented students from across the world, giving the city centre a great new atmosphere and revitalising formerly run-down areas.

“The city centre needs to be active and vibrant by day and by night and having people living here will help create the sort of city centre we want.

“Building purpose-built accommodation also means fewer home conversions in local communities. For every six students who live in developments like this, it’s one fewer house converted to a home in multiple occupation.

“By creating purpose-built student accommodation with award-winning firms such as CODE, we are not only helping the city centre and all the shops and businesses that rely on student trade, we are freeing up houses for families that were previously used as student lodging.

“The Cox Street car park is not used to its full capacity and this plan will rejuvenate that area and add to the growing ‘buzz’ around the city centre.”

the car park currently generates more than £1,000 for the council a day - and more than £394,000 a year.

That's a nice steady income to lose. I wonder how much they're selling it for?

'Accusation we aren’t interested in anyone other than students is nonsense' - Council defends latest flat plans

Senior councillors have launched a passionate defence of plans to sell off the Coventry Sports Centre car park so it can be developed into student accommodation.

The issue was discussed during a public meeting of Coventry council’s cabinet on Tuesday, along with plans for more student accommodation on the Belgrade Plaza site.

Some residents have been critical about the level of student accommodation being developed in the city centre, but council officials point towards expanding populations at the city’s two universities and a lack of existing student housing as justification.

It also emerged that two student accommodation developers were now bidding to buy the Cox Street car park site from the council. It had been earmarked for a £50million development to house 1,000 students.

Coun Kevin Maton, the council’s cabinet member for business, said: “The assertion, mainly from people on the Coventry Telegraph letters page, that this council is only interested in attracting people to this city who don’t pay council tax is wrong.

“This is one of the ways we are reducing the pressure on family homes outside the city centre which are being converted into houses of multiple occupation.

“The accusation we aren’t interested in anyone other than students is nonsense. We’re looking to develop huge employment opportunities at Friargate, the new water park will be for the people of this city and the city centre south scheme is all about creating new retail opportunities.”

He added that many sites being converted into student housing had been left undeveloped for many years and that there were no obvious alternatives.

Coun Maton also said increased student presence in the city centre had contributed to a rise in shop visits against a national drop, and a boost to the night time economy.

He insisted restaurants were performing better than expected and were being visited by people in older age groups, as well as students.

Councillors also hit out at the suggestion that the city centre was becoming dominated by younger people.

Council leader Ann Lucas said: “I remember the 1960s, and I can tell you the only people in the city centre then were youngsters.

“That city centre belonged to young people. Now older people are starting to use it.”

The sale of the Cox Street car park leasehold was agreed by cabinet, with a full decision to be taken by full council following negotiations with the interested developers.

Sadly, our council seem to have very selective memories and the desire to defend the indefensible. Come May, I'd like to see Lucas and her rotten council removed.

The old fire station to I read the other day is next it will be Lady Herberts gardens later then what about the new Cathedral and old why did nt they build flats where the Richo is as they sold that to out siders to thats just a short bus ride into town . How long before we have to get out of our homes for students.

Knock it all down history to so you dont feel you belong anymore hopeing you will move out to your dream area as it will feel no stranger than in your own home town same with building on the green belt which devalue s homes so they sell up and move out to so they can bring in the elite . A while ago I read Blair put forward to America Warwick University being the best to back then did nt the council bring over Americans to design out city or am I wrong.

Not all progress is good.

IMO, the city isn't a shadow of its former self. What I grew up with is mostly gone (for the better in a few cases), but the city seems to have lost its heart and soul. I don't think it's an easy or simple problem to unravel.

I worry about creating so many student accommodation blocks in the city centre. Sure, in some cases when nobody else wants buildings by all means use them for students, but the deeper question is why don't others want these buildings? Again, I don't believe the answer is as simple as blaming the council, though they must accept some responsibility for the state we find ourselves in.

I fear we're putting all our eggs in one basket with student accommodation. - History ought have taught us to diversify a little.

But I didn't know that bit about Blair Melisandre.

I agree with your logic of putting to many eggs in one basket and memory of how it was but I think they are more interested in satisfing young out siders for the Universities and cheap labour rather than us or our childrens children and our history and historic buildings as they have nt got the manufacturing here any more its been replaced by the Universities and big chain stores on the out skirts of town and in the town which actually chainstores put s more people out of work rather than little shops. This happened in America rather than keeping to their small local shops which was driven out by the big chain stores on the out skirts it kiled their towns. I recall reading one American man said he was going to blow up Walmart in America because its made their town a ghost town and theres no jobs any more that was years some years ago. I am now more concerned with disease s being bought here and spreading fast when they are packing so many in here and green belts going to house many history tells us the danger of too many living so crowded close together with diseases.

Yes Tony Blair did promote Warwick University for the the Americans to back even his son is or was here in Coventry living .
I think I read it off the university files I went into they hold a lot of our history to .

So I take it the Coventry people who worked and work with my sisters and brother who were born in Coventry at the Royal Horse Society ,Warwick University, University Hospital and George Elliot which includes my nieces and one sister a Manager at Eon and one at Ofsted is low skill. mmm

As for Warwick brains there use to be a large secret building in Warwick which sign post s would direct you the wrong way to it, it even a junction missing on the main carraige way where a group of companies were who employed Coventry residents from Wood End and Keresley village Radford in Coventry which most were on on £70.00 per hour but I don t supose they had brains either having to sign the official secrets act and check their cars each day for bombs.