540 room student scheme goes out for consultation

Plans to build a six-storey 538 room student scheme has gone out for public consultation in Coventry.

Developer Gilltown aims to demolish the 50,000 sq ft Progress House on the Westwood Heath Business Park site, near the University of Warwick into 538 student bedrooms, with adjoining communal spaces, 130 cycle parking spaces and 4,000 sq ft of ground floor retail space.

The new building will include 138 private studios and 74 shared five and six bedroom flats. The scheme will be car-free for students with a dedicated car park including electric vehicle charging facilities and disabled parking bays for staff and users of the retail unit.

It is anticipated that works will begin on the site from Autumn 2023.

This would be Gilltown’s second purpose-built student accommodation scheme around Coventry following the 462-bed Gulson Road development which opened in September 2021.

The pre-application public consultation launches today with plans available to view on the project website www.progresshouseconsultation.co.uk

James Gillespie, project manager for Gilltown, said: “We are delighted to working on these transformational plans to repurpose and revitalise this site in Coventry.

“The site no longer suits the current occupier’s business requirements, providing an ideal opportunity for PBSA redevelopment, as the building fronts Westwood Way and is a short walk from the western edge the University of Warwick campus.”

Turley is acting as planning consultant for the scheme and GDL Architecture are the architects.

Gilltown were approached for further comment, they advised more details would be released at the end of October.