Flats plan revised amid falling student demand

The plans would see two tower blocks built on Fairfax Street, Coventry

Plans for hundreds of new flats in two towers in a city centre could be overhauled so they are no longer mainly for students.

Developers Code Living has halved the number of flats set to be built at the old Gala Bingo site on Fairfax Street, Coventry.

The two planned 15 and 17-storey tower blocks would have 420 self-contained “units” rather than the 874 rooms set to be built under the original plan, approved in 2022.

The proposed revisions come amid reports of too much student housing in the city compared to demand, according to a council report.

More changes to the planned blocks were on the way, including a bid to scrap a condition stating 75% of rooms must be for students, a council officer said.

A change to a Section 106 agreement - used to secure funds from companies to mitigate the impacts of developments - would allow the rooms to be used as “market housing” instead.

The report noted the changes might be subject to “additional contributions and obligations” like education and affordable housing, not needed for the student scheme.

This plan will be decided separately.

Earlier this week, the city council approved a bid by developers to reduce the number of rooms.

A report by one of the authority's officers said the scheme was considered to be a "positive regeneration of a vacant site".

Work on the development started in March but has not yet been completed.

The new project on Fairfax Street will go next to a different block built by Code, a 23-storey tower with more than 1,000 beds which opened in 2018.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.