Plans for a student block in Nottingham have been approved in what a councillor branded an “uncomfortable decision”.
Applicant David Pownall submitted plans to build a four-storey block off Castle Boulevard, in The Park estate, and they had been tipped for approval at a meeting in September.
The meeting was attended by a significant number of Park residents, who have been calling for the 137-bed scheme to be rejected.
Councillors were informed by officers that a rejection would be “challenging” to defend at an appeal, but after a debate they opted to defer the scheme based on design concerns.
The developer made changes, including making the exterior of the building more attractive, and they returned to a council planning committee meeting on Wednesday (November 19).
Speaking on behalf of residents, Cllr Matt Shannon (Lab), who represents the Castle ward, said: “I ask again, is there a need for even more student accommodation in a city with falling student numbers, and is that need so urgent that we must accept a proposal of moderate design, in a sensitive location which deserves outstanding design.”
However, council officer Rob Percival said there had been a 10 per cent reduction in on-street student accommodation over the last four years, which equates to roughly 700 properties being returned to the residential market.
“The strategy is working,” he said. “The communities that have these high concentrations [of students] have suffered tremendously. In spite of [this] we are still not saying this is the point to end the strategy. The strategy we do believe needs to carry on.
“Obviously we will be monitoring the figures so positions may change.”
Cllr Sam Harris (Lab) said he believed there were a number of material planning problems that could have supported a rejection, including noise and disturbance and a lack of adequate transport links.
He further said the developer’s changes after the deferral were not adequate.
“They have neither addressed the ‘blocky-ness’, which was my primary concern, or the elevations,” he said.
“I am very disappointed at the outcome. While the lighter parts are nice it does nothing to change the concerns we had, and concerns raised by residents. I am very frustrated that if we make precedent of allowing sub-par changes then we will continue to be in a cycle of lower quality purpose-built student accommodation or any other building.”
Cllr Graham Chapman (Lab) asked council officers what chance the authority would have if a rejection of the scheme was appealed by the developer.
If a council loses an appeal against a planning decision, it can be lumped with significant costs.
Mr Percival added: “As officers we would be nervous to defend on appeal.”
There could further be an appeal against non-determination if the application was delayed again, councillors were told.
In a vote, councillors Graham Chapman, Gul Khan, Leslie Ayoola, and Carole McCulloch voted to approve the scheme, while councillors Sam Harris and Kevin Clarke (Ind) voted against them.
Cllr Michael Savage abstained.
Chairperson of the committee, Cllr Ayoola, said: “It is not a comfortable decision.”
The site is in the west of the city centre and sandwiched between Castle Boulevard to the south and Fishpond Drive to the north, and sits within the canal conservation area and next to the Park conservation area.
It is made up of a collection of buildings, including three commercial buildings that were most recently occupied by Zoo Interiors, a showroom selling home furniture, which has now relocated to another shop on Castle Boulevard.
The ground floor of the block building will provide shared amenity space, meeting space, study space, and refuse and bike storage, and two commercial units fronting Castle Boulevard will be kept.
An existing four-bed House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) will also be kept.
Adrian Chubb, who lives in the Maria Court apartment block in Fishpond Drive, added: “We will be filing for a judicial review. It is a demolition job of two conservation areas.”
