Page added on February 1, 2012
City Council Consult on Student Accomodation
People will be able to give their views on new planning guidance designed to restrict future student housing developments in Leicester.
Residents’ groups across the city have raised concerns over the impact of the increasing amount of student accommodation being developed, prompting Leicester City Council to announce last November a temporary moratorium on any new student developments.
Now the council has drawn up a draft version of more detailed planning guidance, called the Student Housing Supplementary Planning Document (SPD), and is asking people for their views on its contents.
As well as including a detailed set of criteria against which all applications for new student housing will be assessed, the new guidance also proposes introducing restrictions on the conversion of family homes to shared housing in certain areas of the city.
The consultation starts on Wednesday, February 1, and runs for six weeks. Responses need to be received, either electronically or by post, by 5pm on Wednesday, March 14.
Leicester city mayor Peter Soulsby said: “In September, as part of my 100-Day pledges, we held a student housing summit involving residents’ groups, developers, private landlords, the city’s two universities and the city council.
“At the summit, it was agreed that further guidance was required to support our existing planning policies on new student housing.
“This document will help the council to ensure that any proposals for new student housing meet a genuine need, are appropriate in size and scale, and are directed towards suitable locations within the city.
“I would therefore encourage anyone who has an interest in student housing in the city to have a look at the draft document and let us know your views on what we are proposing.”
It is expected that a final document will be adopted in May 2012.
Once this happens the temporary moratorium will be lifted, and any new student proposals submitted will be assessed using the new planning guidance.
The draft document, and some background information, can be viewed online at www.leicester.gov.uk/studenthousingspd or at New Walk Centre Customer Service Centre.
