A developer has resubmitted plans to increase the number of student flats being built at a former curry house in Kenilworth town centre.

Planning permission to extend and turn the former Zaika Lounge restaurant into student accommodation was granted by Warwick District Council in January 2018.

Originally developer JR Gill Investments Ltd had planned to extend the building into the car park and build 27 flats, leaving just five parking spaces.

Permission was eventually granted for 23 en-suite rooms with eight spaces, with a smaller extension for the Warwick Road restaurant.

But since then JR Gill Investments has been trying to increase the size of the project.

In June 2019 a planning inspector rejected an appeal that would have allowed an extra floor and four extra flats to be built.

The inspector said there would not be enough parking spaces.

And now a new proposal to raise the roof height and turn the attic into a studio apartment has been revealed.

JR Gill says that one of the downstairs bedrooms will be replaced by a kitchen and communal space, so the loft conversion would not increase the overall number of rooms.

And with previous applications all raising concerns around parking, the number of spaces is set to be increased to nine by moving a bin store.

The application said: "[The original] planning application granted, the scheme consisted of five bedroom ground floor flats. 

"Since then the number of bedrooms was reduced to four in this area but the number of parking spaces enlarged from eight to nine spaces. 

"We are now proposing to add attic accommodation with convenient studio flat accessed via main entrance with additional evacuation stairs to satisfy building regulations requirements."

If approved, a new evacuation staircase will also be built, as well as new windows for the studio flat.

Kenilworth Town Council objected to the original planning application, as well as the subsequent plans.

The original planning application said: "The proposed development has carefully taken into consideration the important elements of the conservation area and has been designed to protect and enhance its setting."

Elsewhere in Kenilworth plans to turn The Peacock Hotel into student accommodation have been resubmitted.

Meanwhile a guest house attached to the Kenilworth Hotel is set to be turned back into a family home.