Student homes plan block over fears they could be victims of crime

A STUDENT accommodation plan for Hillfields has been blocked amid fears the students would fall victim to criminals.

Planning bosses have said no to knocking down the former Aylesford Intermediate Care Centre and replacing it with a 189 bedroom student accommodation building.

An application by Harrow based developers Aylesford Coventry was turned down by Coventry City Council because of the area’s crime levels and the effect on the neighbouring building.

It’s the second time an application for student accommodation on the site has been turned down.

Explaining their decision in a planning report, Coventry City Council planning bosses say: “The development will result in a significant number of students travelling on foot between the site and Coventry University campus on streets where there is a high level of crime.

“The proposal fails to demonstrate that it has achieved a high standard of design in terms of creating safe and accessible environments where crime and disorder, and the fear of crime, do not undermine quality of life or community cohesion.”

They also say the development would overlook the neighbouring Jacquard House to an unacceptable degree.

Coun David Welsh (Lab, St Michael’s) said in a letter objecting to the plans: “Hillfields is an area of the city with one of, if not the highest crime rates.

“The nature of crimes committed tend to be around drugs, violent crimes such as sexual assaults, antisocial behaviour and robbery; this is reflected in the available crime figures. “The site is surrounded by alley ways which are rights of way, and roads where these crimes are already committed on a regular basis and I fear this will increase with the addition of more vulnerable young people in the area.

“The nature of student life means they will be coming and going from the site at the most likely times to be victims of such crimes. This area is already used for dealing drugs and again this is introducing a new market for something which is difficult to tackle as it is.

“The police are already under pressure in the area dealing with the night time economy and students walking home through some of the highest crime hot spots will add to this pressure on resources.”

The care centre was run by Coventry City Council for people well enough to leave hospital but not well enough to go home. It closed in 2015. Since then it has been empty apart from a small number of people living there and working as security guards.