This website has been created to inform you of Gilltown Ltd's proposals to redevelop the brownfield site at the junction of Gulson Road and Vecqueray Street, Coventry into student accommodation.
Site and Surroundings
The proposed development site is currently occupied by Buildbase builders' merchants at the junction of Gulson Road and Vecqueray Street.
The site is less than half a kilometre from the main campus of Coventry University, the main shopping and entertainment areas within the City. Immediately adjacent to the site is the existing Unite Callice Court student accommodation building, with the University's student car park and Engineering & Computing Building are immediately beyond that.
Backing onto the Far Gosford Street conservation area, the existing builders' yard provides a poor outlook to the surrounding houses and student accommodation, and its buildings are of little architectural merit. Its use as a builders' yard is in conflict with the area's primarily residential focus.
The proposed scheme provides accommodation for 464 students across the site in a single building, equivalent to freeing up around 93 shared houses across the city. The building is planned as 3 storeys tall along Vecqueray Street, so that it better reflects the height of the terrace opposite. Further into the site, away from the existing houses, the building steps up to 8 storeys in height, around the same height as the top of Callice Court, stepping back as it moves away from the terrace. The proposed building has been carefully developed through extensive consultation with Coventry City Council, and is now offered to the public for their comment and opinion.
Built around 4 courtyards, the proposal provides 1500m² of shared internal and external amenity space, made up of common rooms, shared study spaces, and hard and soft landscaping. The proposed scheme incorporates tree and shrub planting to improve the ecological value and overall appearance of the site. Secure cycle parking is provided for staff, students and visitors.
From the outset, the project has been designed with these key principles in mind:
Improve the context of the Far Gosford Street conservation area through careful choice of materials and building form, Improve the appearance and ecological value of the site through landscaping along Vecqueray Street, Carefully develop the mass and height of the building to ensure it doesn't overbear the houses opposite, Free up existing housing in the city by bringing students into purpose built student accommodation.
Site Plan
Next Steps
A pre-application for the proposals was submitted to Coventry City Council in May 2017 and subsequent meetings to discuss the proposals have taken place. The planners have indicated support for our planning application in principle and have provided guidance as to where particular attention is to be paid in order for them to recommend a subsequent planning application for approval.
