A residential development for 158 hospital staff has been backed by councillors despite fears over the small number of parking spaces and the scale of the scheme.

The building would occupy an area of waste ground in Bodmin Road, Wyken, 15 minutes’ walk from University Hospital Coventry & Warwickshire. An industrial building on the site was demolished in 2022.

The application, between residential properties on Farren Road and Snape Road and the Abbey Industrial Estate on Bodmin Road, would have a car park with just 19 spaces. The council says this is sufficient because NHS staff living there would easily be able to walk or cycle to the hospital and to a nearby supermarket.

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But the proposal triggered 15 letters of objection from local residents, saying the development is too large and offers inadequate parking. They also feared increased traffic and loss of privacy.

Cllr Frank Beechey (Reform, Wyken) spoke out against the proposal, telling the planning committee: “The key issues residents have are mostly around parking. That is a real concern.”

He said nearby permit schemes and double yellow lines would not allow any parking spillover from the development.

“These people will have cars,” he argued. “Where exactly do you think they’re going to end up parking? That is something that has not been taken into account at all. The whole area around the hospital has a lack of parking. All streets have residents’ parking schemes because of the issues with parking. That’s a huge issue.

“The second major issue residents have is the height of the building. You are in a residential area, where all the houses are two storeys. And the proposed development is four storeys. All the industrial units in Bodmin Road are two storeys. There is nothing anywhere near that height in the surrounding area.”

He said cutting the scheme into the gradient of the land would not be enough to reduce visual impact because it would still tower above the hedge that’s being retained around the perimeter.

Cllr Beechey added that there were concerns the application would open up opportunities for developers to build more residential properties on other unoccupied parts of the industrial estate, further increasing pressure and demand on the facilities in the area.

An agent for the applicants pointed out that the proposal would bring a vacant brownfield site back into productive use and satisfy a “very real local need” to provide good quality accommodation for University Hospital staff.

The location was “exceptionally well suited to this purpose” and was strongly endorsed by the hospital’s chief executive as a workable proposal.

All concerns raised by neighbours at community engagement sessions, before the application was submitted, had been incorporated into the design.

Parking levels were appropriate for this scheme and traffic levels would also be much lower than when there was an industrial unit on the land.

Cllr Marcus Fogden (Reform, Binley & Willenhall ) asked for examples of other accommodation schemes with low levels of parking compared with bedrooms. But officers said they weren’t aware of any locally.

The scheme will contain 22 residential cluster apartments, each comprising up to eight bedrooms with ensuites and communal kitchens, dining and living space. A communal lounge and gym would also be included.

University Hospital’s chief executive sent a letter of support to the council saying there is a need for staff accommodation nearby, and pointing out that it’s a leading teaching hospital with a high volume of post-graduate doctors – around 300-350 at any one time – as well as a large number of student nurses at Coventry University who would also benefit.

Planners said the proposal was acceptable in principle and would not result in any significant impact on neighbour amenity, highway safety, ecology or infrastructure. It would be a good quality design that would work well with the street scene and improve the character and appearance of the site.

Councillors voted to approve a recommendation delegating the granting of permission to the authority’s strategic lead for planning subject to conditions and a legal agreement. A travel plan will have to be produced to prove a reduced need for car ownership.

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