Press release:

A city transport campaigner has slammed council chiefs over plans to develop more “car free” student flats in the city without providing enough cycle parking.

At tomorrow’s (Thursday 14th January) Planning Committee meeting, members are expected to approve the two schemes, which provide a combined total of 1,355 beds.

James Avery, a transport consultant from Chapelfields welcomed the plans, but said the council needed to ensure enough cycle parking was provided:

“We know there is a shortage of student beds in the city, but planning officers are saying that nobody will be allowed to bring a car, and then completely failing to provide enough cycle parking.”

In particular, the Ultraseal scheme adjacent to the ring road at Lower Ford St will have 769 rooms, but just 12 car spaces and only 120 cycle spaces. The council’s own policies call for over 400 cycle spaces on this site, more than three times the provision.

Said Mr Avery:

“Officers are saying that students will live out their entire term time lives in a tiny bubble between these flats, uni, and the city centre. What sort of quality of life do we want people to have? Coventry is a diverse city, and we need to give people the choice to get around by whatever means they choose.

Planning officers would not have suggested providing no car parking spaces in a retail park like Central 6, just because it was next to the station, so why can’t they stick to their own guidelines in respect of cycle parking”.

Mr Avery also slammed plans for a “shared” space junction next to the scheme.

“Shared space is an unproven experiment. Putting such a junction next to such a large and busy roundabout can only lead to more problems”

Ends

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