Agenda item

A Planning Officer from Leicester City Council will be present to give an update on the proposed Supplementary Planning Document around student accommodation in the city.

Members agreed to hear the agenda items out of order.

Councillor Kitterick and Darryl Watson from Planning & Management Delivery, Leicester City Council presented the item on student accommodation, and the proposed development of a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) as described in the agenda briefing note. It was stated that the standard of student accommodation within Leicester varied significantly. It was also said that the increased development of student accommodation released family houses to the wider community, and that purpose-built student accommodation could regenerate an area.

The meeting was informed that at present, Leicester City Council did not have a strong enforceable policy to reject applications. The policy tended to make it relatively easy for appeals to be won by a developer and for rejection of a planning application to be overturned. The Inspector could also award costs against the Council if the Council lost an appeal.

There were a number of planning applications for several thousand student accommodation spaces that had been given permission to build, but had not yet been developed. The Council were working with universities to assess the level of student accommodation which was necessary. Information was also being gathered on the types of locations in the City best suited to accommodate new purpose-built student blocks.

Residents made the following comments and asked questions;

·         Land might be lost in areas where housing was needed.

·         Residents in Clarendon Park felt that the area had become dominated by students, and that the general nature of the area was changing.

·         The density issue could be addressed by having a percentage of different social groups in an area, and by restricting the level of multi-let accommodation.

·         A limit needed to be drawn on the number of large blocks that were appearing, and that old Victorian Buildings should be modernised.

·         Large blocks overshadowed the houses in an area, for example the proposed development in Jarrom Street.

·         With the rise in tuition fees, if the number of students attending university diminished, what would happen to vacant student accommodation?

·         It was suggested that the buildings be designed in such a way that if student numbers fell, the buildings could be remodelled, for example, offices. Residents also suggested that a height restriction be put on the buildings so that they did not dominate the skyline and reduce light to neighbouring residential properties.

·         Residents also asked if a parking policy could be attached the tenancies restricting the number of vehicles attached to the property, to reduce issues around parking.

·         It was felt that vacant multi-let properties would not be let to families by landlords.

It was expected that a draft SPD would be available for a six-week public consultation by the end of 2011. The consultation would be advertised in the Leicester Mercury and on Leicester City Council’s website. Residents were urged to take part in the consultation, and debate what they would like to see in the guidance. Formal adoption of the document was due in March 2012, and would be discussed as an agenda item at the next Community Meeting in February.

Members thanked the officer for attending.