Developer to build student accommodation in Coventry

A UK developer and constructor has had the go-ahead to build student accommodation in Coventry.

Watkin Jones Group has achieved planning consent on Whitefriars Lane in Coventry for 778 student beds. The site lies within the main Coventry University Campus area of the city centre.

According to a council paper published last year, 70% of students from both Coventry and Warwick Universities are unable to access university or private sector student accommodation.

The group plans to have the rooms ready for the start of the 2020/21 academic year, alongside plans to create a further 700 student beds in Sheffield.

Mark Watkin Jones, chief executive of Watkin Jones, said: “The excellent visibility in our student accommodation development business continues with this successful planning consent and further site acquisition.

“The demand for student accommodation remains high and this, coupled with the growing momentum in our build to rent development business, reinforces our confidence in our business model and the markets in which we operate.”