Family home to be turned into seven-bed student padA family home on a quiet estate is to be turned into a seven-bed pad for students.
The property - 10 Brill Close, in Wainbody - will be converted into a house in multiple occupation (HMO) and will be used to house Warwick university students.
The move sparked concern over the loss of homes for families at a time of increasing housing need both in Coventry and nationally.
Agent Simon Grove, on behalf of the applicant, told a planning committee on Thursday, January 23, that the owners were struggling to sell it.
He said: “This is a large family home and this one had circa six people in the family. They are looking at options to sell it and the only people interested in the sale were people for a HMO relative to Warwick University.”
But a critical Cllr Tim Sawdon, arguing against the plans, referenced an “almost identical” application in the area which was rejected in November, adding it would be “totally perverse” to agree to this one now.
At the last application, he claimed the estate was "being turned into a student village".
The council’s own policies state a seven-bed HMO would require six parking spaces, but only three were provided in this application.
“If that’s the rule, you must stick to it,” Cllr Sawdon argued.
“If you are going to start saying ‘oh what’s one more going to be’, it really does fly in the face of the policies being set.
“It is over-development of the site. Brill Close is a narrow road and has a hammerhead junction just around the corner.”
Plans were approved six in favour and two against, despite Cllr Catherine Miks one of a number to raise concerns over the loss of family homes.
She said: “We all welcome the university but these are large houses where developers are basically going in and keeping profits.
“I hope we are looking into the fact we are losing large family homes we need in this city.”
Council planning policy manager Mark Andrews admitted it “is an issue we are conscious of”, adding the authority is looking into a study on the impact of HMOs across the city.