Yet MORE student accommodation in the city centre.

I have blogged before about the amount of student accommodation taking over the city centre and now permission has been given for even more.

This week it has been announced that a popular city centre car park is being replaced with student accommodation for 1000.  Clearly renting accommodation to students is a better money spinner than a car park, but then again, with everything in the centre being replaced by student accommodation, then people will soon have no need to go into the centre.

Near to the Belgrade Theatre, planning permission had been given for a block containing a 4* hotel (not sure why we need one in Coventry, but it would have been nice) and luxury apartments.  This has been in the pipeline for many years now, today it was announced that we would no longer be getting the luxury hotel and apartments, but more student accommodation.

I have a suggestion - why not make the whole of the city centre the campus of Coventry University?  Move all the students in the outlying flats and rented houses inside the ring road releasing the suburbs back to non-students.  The general public could still use the facilities in the centre, such as the theatre and the ice rink, much like they do on the University of Warwick campus on the outskirts of the city, the Arts Centre there is well known across the country and shows are open to all.

Does anyone else feel like their city is being slowly absorbed into the local university?

Farewell Coventry Co-Op, hello even more student accommodation (probably).

After nearly 150 years in the Coventry city centre, the Co-Op is due to close on the 24th October 2015.

From its humble beginnings in Cook Street in 1867 it moved to its current, multi-storey location, in 1956.

For many locals, born and bred in the city, the Co-Op is the first point of call for many things, from electricals (if you are a member of the Co-Op which costs £2 for lifetime membership you could get some great deals), to school uniforms, to suites and beds.

It was Christmas, however, that the 'Co' really came into its own.  Theirs was THE Santa to visit.

There was the sleigh, sitting ride behind reindeer whilst scenery rushed past.

 

The tinkling bells on the harnesses.

The exit into a decorated hut.

The authentic fat, jolly Santa.

The wrapped gift.

It was fantastic.

I went every year, my friends went every year.  My friends are now taking their children and grandchildren.  

But it will be no more.

According to the Coventry Telegraph a plea has gone out for someone to carry on the tradition and take over the Co-Op Santa experience.

So what will be built in place of the shop?  My guessing, and many people seem to agree, is that it will be yet MORE student accommodation.  

According to a report on the Coventry Council website, there are currently more than 4000 purpose built student accommodation units in the city, mostly in the centre.  There are also more than 8000 units on or around the site of the University of Warwick on the outskirts of the city.  There is extant planning permission for a further 3300 units across the city.

This does not include the recent change in plans for the former sorting office in the centre.

Nor does it include the great swathes of the suburbs where houses are converted to HMOs and operated by private companies or individuals.

I have posted before about students taking over the city, and the influx shows no sign of abating.