The University of Warwick's plans for its science and engineering site were approved this week (on July 9).

New buildings up to 35 metres high have got the go-ahead, while other blocks – some dating back to the 1960s – will be knocked down.

More green space is planned for the precinct, which will also have "excess" car parking removed, plans say.

The scheme includes clearing and levelling the site, removing hedgerows and trees and diverting utilities. Coventry city councillors and locals expressed support for the plans according to a statement by agents Turley, though some residents raised questions over traffic and construction management.

More detailed plans will need to be approved by the council in future under 'reserved matters.' Assessing the scheme, a Coventry council officer noted that it will include a loss of trees and biodiversity in the short term.

Around 90 trees will be lost which is "of course, regrettable," they wrote. But they added that only a few from higher quality species will go – and the wider redevelopment of the site carries "significant weight."

Outline plans for the scheme (image via planning application)

Details of how the loss will be off-set are also due to be sent to the council in future, the report stated. Some grassland, hedges and a water course will also be removed for the new precinct, it added.

But according to the university this can be "mitigated" in the redeveloped site – and there are plans for ecology projects elsewhere across its campus. The officer also said the short-term impact on nature is considerably less than the benefits of the plan, which will provide a "new purpose-built quality campus."

The officer report also noted that the scheme involves creating 34,500sqm of new teaching space. It added: "The expansion of education provision is of importance to the city and is strongly supported."

In responses to questions by locals, the University of Warwick said it seeks to grow the number of postgraduate students studying there. It expects undergraduate student numbers to grow naturally by 16 per cent, and total full-time education students at the university will be around 40 per cent over the next decade.

The university also aims to boost its ranking for physical science and engineering subjects – and the performance of these areas is currently limited by the conditions of the buildings, according to the plans.