Bid to let student housing to non-students refused

Councillors said the plan "would not result in an acceptable living environment for non-students"

Managers of a Coventry student accommodation block have lost a bid to change its use to "co-living" accommodation, in which empty studio rooms would be let to non-students.

Coventry City Council refused plans to let flats at Sherborne Student Village to people not at the university last month.

Axo Student Living put the scheme forward to deal with rising numbers of empty rooms and said accommodation would be aimed at recent graduates or long-term travellers.

However, council officers said the plan "would not result in an acceptable living environment for non-students".

Papers submitted to the council said the problem of empty rooms stemmed from unstable demand.

Agents for Axo said the large amount of unused space was an "extremely inefficient" use of land and could ultimately lead to the building's closure or sale.

They stressed the building would still be mainly for students if the council agreed to the new "flexible" use.

Under the plans, unoccupied rooms in one of the scheme's four blocks were to be rented to non-students.

The flats, on different floors to the students, would be aimed at recent graduates or long term travellers who could stay for up to three months.

Rooms 'too small'

Council officers said co-living schemes needed to encourage communities through shared facilities such as dining rooms and gyms.

Officers said rooms in the block were "effectively self-contained" with ensuites and small kitchens, and the few communal spaces were on the ground floor - five flights of stairs away.

The block's 18 sq m studio rooms would also be "too small" for non-students for anything other than short-term stays, officers said.

They added the three-month tenancy limit would not give people long-term housing security and the effect would be more like a hotel, which would not be allowed because the building was too far from the centre.

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