Hotel to be transformed into postgrad accommodation

Warwick postgraduate students could be staying at former hotel dormitories  as Kenilworth’s Peacock Hotel will be transformed into university student accommodation.

The Peacock Hotel property, situated at 149 Warwick Road in Kenilworth, has made an application to change its use from a hotel to a ‘house of multiple occupancy’ for postgraduate students.

The hotel will be transformed into a 37-bed accommodation hall with 23 car parking spaces.

The proposed changes were made due to a “significant decline in earnings” at the hotel over the past five years.

The University has supported the plans after discussions with hotel owners and planners.

On 22 August, the University wrote in a letter: “We are pleased that recent conversations have concluded that it is possible to reconfigure existing hotel accommodation to suit post graduate requirements and meet our high quality standards.”

The property will be let to the University of Warwick to manage the building and tenants for the next three years.

However, the development met with disapproval from a Mr. Neil Melbourne, whose father lives near the Peacock Hotel.

He said that his father was “concerned about the potential increase in noise”.

He also pointed out the immediate vicinity of a pub directly opposite the Hotel. He said: “clearly this raises issues with the potential for antisocial behaviour for the elderly community in Clarke’s Avenue.”

There were also concerns about the size of the Hotel’s parking space, which could “create overspill onto Clarke’s Ave which already becomes congested at times and can present a hazard to both drivers and pedestrians.”

A design and access statement however, stated: “As the property will be managed by [the University], they will implement a management plan should any noise, nuisance or maintenance issue arise.”

It added: “In relation to noise insulation, the existing detached property features a robust fabric and the proposed use will not cause a material increase in sound transmission. All existing proposed windows will be double glazed.”

Hotel planners have also suggested that students and visiting relatives would be able to contribute to the local economy by making use of local shops and restaurants.

The design of the property will not be extended or altered for the development, except for the insertion of three windows.