Plan to rent student accommodation over summer rejected as planners say ‘not in spirit’

A student block in Coventry will not be allowed to rent 300 rooms to non-students during the summer. City council rejected plans for the Oaks in Westwood yesterday, June 27.

The student accommodation, with 378 rooms, opened four years ago. But the building is largely empty from June to August, a planning letter said.

Most students leave when the term ends in May. The only other groups allowed to stay over the summer are limited to those involved in education, such as visiting academics and people going to conferences.

READ MORE: Huge Coventry student accommodation looking for a new use in the summer months

Applicants Roost Propco 3 Limited want to enhance the “commercial viability” of the site, the letter from agents Gerald Eve LLP said. Short-term rentals would be for families, couples and corporate group bookings.

It would “actively discourage” bookings for large weekend groups such as stag and hen parties, the letter added. They argued the move would have “clear benefits”, including supporting jobs, town events and other groups.

But a report by Coventry City Council found a “number of emerging issues” with the plans. It is said that people renting the rooms will likely use cars, triggering a high demand at the moment that cannot be accommodated on site.

The report also stated that the building scheme for the block was based on the idea that it would have a “close relationship with the university”. It involved improving campus facilities and connectivity.

But those staying at the site would probably go to other centers that didn’t have these upgrades. It means it would have a big impact on local roads, the officer’s report said.

It also claimed that the block’s common areas could be “undermined” by the move, pointing out that some students who use them include teenagers aged between 15 and 19.

They concluded that the bid to change the scheme’s status “does not fit within the spirit or parameters of the original planning agreement for student accommodation”.

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