Coventry 400-bed PBSA set for green light

Plans to build student flats on a former builders yard near the University of Warwick have been given the thumbs up from city planners, despite objections from residents and councillors to the scheme.

Warwickshire-based Redford Developments launched an outline application for the former FH Roofing site in September, with councillors set to decide on the proposals at next week’s committee meeting.

If approved, four linked accommodation blocks for up to 400 students would be built on land south of Westwood Head Road, sandwiched between the university’s sports facilities and other existing halls of residence on Scarman Road.

But the scheme has had to overcome concerns over its quasi-protected status, after early discussions with planners highlighted a potential policy hurdle.

During a pre-application request in 2024, Coventry’s planning officers warned that the site was in a safeguarded belt of land to the south of the city, designated to prevent the city sprawling across administrative boundaries into Warwick.

But Redford said a development of student halls to the south of the site known as the Sherbourne Residences had resulted in a “material change in circumstances” which had urbanised the setting of the development, overriding the policy and making a potential re-designation of the land back to Green Belt unlikely.

“New development has been built and consented associated with the University to the south of the site, comprising new halls of residence west of Scarman Road, and a new Social Sciences Quarter has been consented adjoining the Site’s eastern boundary,” they wrote via a planning statement.

“Permitted and consented development have the effect of enclosing the site on all sides, isolating it from the countryside beyond.”

They added that the scheme would play an important role in the expansion of the university, which wants to provide an extra 1,200 student beds on or near to its campus by 2033, and negate the further use of city-centre HMOs for student accommodation.

An e-petition signed by 105 residents was presented in opposition to the scheme, while Cllr Marcus Lapsa lodged an objection due to there being “no demonstrable need for additional purpose-built student accommodation” in the city.

A report by real estate consultancy Cushman & Wakefield noted that while Coventry city-centre was generally over-supplied with PBSA, the location of the University of Warwick in the south of the city made it a “sub-market”, which was “undersupplied” in the local area.

In response to residents concerns over an increase in traffic as a result of the development, a highway improvement scheme has been designed along Westwood Heath Road, which includes traffic calming measures and a shared footway and cycleway running alongside the northern side of Westwood Heath Road.

Designs for the scheme were provided by Maber Associates, with planning consultancy provided by Marrons.

The application will be decided by Coventry City Council’s Planning Committee on Thursday, 2 April.

Plans and documents relating to the proposal can be found on the city council’s planning portal using reference: PL/2025/0001730/OUTM