15 August 2018
Work to begin on Coventry student accommodation
Work to begin on Coventry student accommodation
The Buildbase building supplies centre on Gulson Road is being demolished to make way for a block with 462 rooms to house Coventry University students after planning permission was granted back in March.
Gilltown is the developer behind the project, which is expected to be ready for autumn 2020.
The demolition of the former Buildbase building supplies centre is close to being completed, allowing for buildingwork by Robertson Construction to get underway. The application promises a six to eight-storey development with facilities including shared study areas, common room, gym, staff management suite and laundry.
There will be amenity courtyards, disabled parking spaces, cycle spaces, drop off and collection area and a separately-accessed service area outside the building.
Student rooms comprise a mix of studio study bedrooms with an en-suite pod and kitchenette; cluster bedrooms with en-suite pod and shared living/kitchen/dining room, and affordable cluster bedrooms with shared living/kitchen/dining room and shower/WCs.
Ten rooms have been identified to allow for easy adaptation to meet accessible requirements by future residents when needed.
There will also be room for green space within the development.
The area surrounding Gulson Road is dominated by Coventry University buildings, including the engineering and computing building, library and multi-storey staff car park.
Paul Gillespie, of Gilltown, said:
We could see huge potential in this site when it was introduced to us as there is a definite demand for more student accommodation in Coventry.
"This is a great location for Coventry University students and creating high-quality student property is exactly what we do."
Peter Holt, director of Holt Commercial, added: "The growth in student accommodation in Coventry over recent years has been rapid and there is still a strong market due to the growth of Coventry University itself and the number of students it attracts. I was confident, having understood the needs of Gilltown, that this is the perfect location for them in the city and I am delighted we could attract more investment into Coventry in this way."â
Student property requirements have evolved over the years and this development will offer students exactly the kind of accommodation they are looking for with a host of amenities as well as individual rooms.