Plan for towering accommodation complex to house 800 students

The scheme would see the demolition of the Coventry Boys and Girls club



A planning application has been submitted to demolish the Coventry Boys and Girls Club in the city centre and relocate it as part of a scheme to develop a massive student accommodation complex housing almost 800 students.

The ambitious scheme, in Whitefriars Lane, would see the demolition of the club, which would be rebuilt nearby.

Two 13 and 17 -storey tower blocks providing accommodation for 778 students would also be built.

The proposal has been submitted by the Watkins Jones Group, which operates Fresh Student Living, and covers almost half a hectare of brownfield land between Whitefriars Lane to the south, Whitefriars Street to the west and the ring road to the east.

The site is currently occupied by the former Coventry Boys and Girls Club and Coventry SQ Club, which has been there since 1955. It also includes a car park belonging to Coventry University .

The club would be demolished and relocated to a permanent home in a building on the western edge opposite the Coventry University sports centre.

The new Coventry Boys and Girls Club would be facing Whitefriars Street, with a car park for members of the club at the rear.



Planning papers in support of the application state: “The redevelopment includes construction of a purpose-built facility for the Coventry Boys and Girls Club with modern high quality accommodation.

“The focal point of the club will be the ‘Main Hall’.

“The Main Hall will function as a communal space with a cafe behind bi-fold panels, allowing the space to be used for events or separately depending on requirements.

“At the first floor level there are two music rooms and a flexible space for multi- purpose use. On the second floor above the music rooms there is a boxing gym.”

Outlining the student accommodation proposed the application adds: “The development comprises two blocks which will house 778 students.

“The student accommodation is in the form of cluster flats and individual studios and will include ancillary facilities to support the building’s full-time management by way of a management suite and security office.

“The development also includes a wide array of on-site facilities which will include a social area, study rooms, laundry, bike storage facilities and external landscaped courtyard area at ground level, as well as a roof terrace on the 12th floor.”

Urging Coventry City Council to give the scheme the green light the application papers state: “The provision of purpose-built student accommodation in a well-located site such as the application site will add to the stock of high quality accommodation which students can access.

“This will contribute to the success of the universities in Coventry.

“This development therefore provides new, high quality and purpose-built accommodation to meet the needs of students.”

Plans just got bigger for towering student blocks beside medieval gems



PROPOSALS for two huge student tower blocks which campaigners say will overshadow some of Coventry’s most important listed medieval buildings have just got even bigger!

Despite a raft of official and other objections including from Coventry Airport, developers have now raised one of the tower blocks’ height, ahead of seeking planning permission.

The plans, which went to public consultation, proposed two tower blocks on the site of the Coventry Boys’ Club, Whitefriars Lane, city centre, of 13 and 17 storeys.

But now, with the consultation ended, the proposals are for 16 and 18 storeys.

It means plans have been amended to a towering structure that will dominate the city’s skyline even more.

A Coventry council spokesperson confirmed to the Coventry Observer the new designs would raise the height of one of the blocks by two storeys.

They added one of the ‘additional storeys’ for each block were simply numerical, because the ground floor had previously been undesignated as a storey (called ‘Ground 0’).

The council provided the following statement to us.

A council spokesperson said: “There have been lots of changes to this scheme and we have done lots of work with the applicant to make sure that the development works for the near neighbours including the listed buildings on Gosford Street.

“The developer originally wanted the block closest to Gosford Street to be 12 storeys high but we were very clear that the step up needed to be incremental so now the nearest section will be just six storeys high.

“As a response to this the application, which will go to planning committee, also now includes two more storeys on one of the blocks.”

Campaigner Rob Gill, of Gosford Books in medieval Gosford Street, said: “One of the towers will be even taller.

“Shouldn’t they at least re-start the public consultation?”

The proposal is due to go before the council’s planning committee on March 15.

Fury as builders of Coventry student tower block 'hammering at midnight'



BUILDERS working on student accommodation in Coventry city centre at midnight have sparked furious complaints from neighbours.

Neighbours in Whitefriars Street*, where a massive accommodation block is being constructed, are unable to sleep as developer Watkin Jones has builders working late at night.

It is believed complaints to Coventry City Council have triggered a probe by planning enforcement officials.

Local resident and owner of nearby second-hand bookshop Gosford Books, Rob Gill, said council officers told the developer to stop late night construction, but work has continued.

Some nights in August, work has continued to 1am, he said.

“Since this started ten days ago, they’ve been getting a gang of subcontractors to work until after midnight,” said Mr Gill.

“They are hammering six-inch rail windows from external platforms which are going up the outside of the building.

“We have hammering sporadically, with the beeping warning noises, with guys shouting to one another.

“Environmental protection were called by residents last week, they witnessed it as a nuisance last Monday. They served a notice on the team to stop the work and they have just ignored that, so it has been passed over now to planning enforcement.

“This is apparently a favoured project from the council’s perspective and I wonder if they haven’t turned a blind eye to this – and it sets a precedent for any developer to have carte blanche to work around midnight.

“Recently they have been working 15 storeys high – hammering window frames, and its possible the noise travels even further afield from that high up.

“We deserve to know what the council are doing about it.”

*It's actually Whitefriars Lane.