Vinci Construction UK has won a £60 million contract to deliver the first phase of a student accommodation scheme in Coventry.

The contractor has started work on the city centre Bishop Gate project for Barberry Developments. Completion is scheduled to be in time for the 2018/19 academic year.

Designed by architects Stride Treglown, features include 725 student units in a three-storey brick and sandstone plinth, with three residential blocks above.

Overall, Barberry and Coventry University have planning consent for 1,116 student units spread across five tower blocks rising up to 17 storeys.

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The project will transform the site of a former Royal Mail sorting office featuring purpose-built student accommodation with gardens, bicycle storage and multi-use courtyards, fronting on to Bishop Street and Tower Street. Retail units will also be built for public use.

Barberry director Henry Bellfield said: "We have now appointed Vinci Construction UK – a world leader in construction and civil engineering – as contractors to deliver this exciting development.

"We are delighted to be working alongside them and we are confident that together we will deliver a development the university and the city can be proud of."

Vinci Construction UK's Regional Construction Director, Edward Biddle, added: "We are delighted to have secured this prestigious project with Barberry Developments and look forward to working with them to deliver this scheme for Coventry University."

The project team includes Stride Treglown as architects, Arcadis are cost consultants, with Hoare Lea as M&E engineers and Nolan Associates as Civil & Structural engineers.

(LM)