New accommodation approved in Westwood, but is it enough to solve the shortfall?

A new accommodation block located in Westwood could bring up to 400 purpose-built student rooms to campus after outline planning permission was granted, despite more than 100 objections from locals.

The proposed development by Redford Developments would be built in Westwood, approximately a 15-minute walk from central campus, with plans having faced significant local opposition. Residents have claimed that Coventry already has an “oversupply of student accommodation” and councillors have described the city as “saturated” with student rooms.

Planners agree that there is an oversupply but say that this is primarily regarding city centre accommodation that serves Coventry University students.

These excess rooms in the city centre are a problem, with one hall of residence having recently asked for permission to let 50 of its apartments to city workers, but it is entirely separate from, and the opposite of, the accommodation issues that the University of Warwick is facing.

While central Coventry may have more student rooms than it needs, Warwick has struggled to provide enough accommodation for its own students on campus.

Even if the Westwood development had been completed in time for last year’s intake, its 400 beds would not have been enough to cover the 628 students placed off campus alone

The initial approval for the new Westwood block came as the University prepared to place some of its incoming first-year students in off-campus accommodation for the second consecutive year.

Last year, 628 freshers were placed in “partner provider” accommodation off campus after being told that the University’s rooms were “fully allocated”. It was the first time on record that the University had used its partner provider system, and its use again this year suggests that off-campus placements could be becoming a regular feature of student accommodation at Warwick.

The proposed Westwood block would provide 400 additional on-campus beds for students, potentially reducing the pressure that has caused some freshers to be housed off site.

However, even if the Westwood development had been completed in time for last year’s intake, its 400 beds would not have been enough to cover the 628 students placed off campus alone. This suggests that the block may ease, but not solve, Warwick’s accommodation shortfall.

Being given an on-campus bed is particularly important to students at Warwick, with one off campus fresher telling The Boar that the off campus allocation made them “consider not going to university”.

The area surrounding the University of Warwick campus has therefore been considered separately from the wider Coventry accommodation market, with the last two years off campus accommodation allocations providing evidence of a shortfall in beds available to Warwick students.

While the approval establishes that more student rooms will be built on campus, it does not mean that construction can begin immediately.

Many of the details are yet to be decided with the University still having to submit reserved matters applications covering the development’s appearance, layout, scale and landscaping.

Specific requirements also must be met to protect wildlife, including nearby bats, birds, toads, hedgehogs and badgers.

Furthermore, the site sits within a coal-mining area meaning that a warning has been issued regarding possible unrecorded mining-related hazards.

In addition to concerns on the nature surrounding the designated area, locals are worried by the impact that the block would have on traffic.

The proposal has clarified that just 20 parking spaces will be included on site with these being primarily for Blue Badge users and student drop off/pick up at the beginning and end of term. Despite this, it has been confirmed that approved highway improvement works must be fully completed before anyone moves into the accommodation.

For prospective students, an extra 400 beds may offer partial reassurance that they will not end up being housed off campus. Although the Westwood development would still leave hundreds of Warwick’s incoming students facing the same off-campus uncertainty that has now shaped so many people’s first years of university.

The University of Warwick has been contacted for comment.