93-bed student scheme gets green light
Derby City Council’s planning committee has given the go-ahead for a new development of student apartments on Agard Street.
The development, by Trent Pads , will see a stepped building, from eight to seven storeys, offering 93 bedrooms in 69 units
Simon Foote of Simon Foote Architects who worked on the project said: “We are extremely happy to provide our client with a well-deserved planning approval after an unanimous positive vote at planning committee. We have created a proposal that will provide Derby with a well-designed, high quality student accommodation in the heart of the university district, helping improve the city’s appeal to the youngest and brightest minds.
John Forkin, managing director of the city’s investment promotion agency, Marketing Derby, commented: “It is great to see these plans being approved, bringing more investment into Derby. An increase in student residents to the city centre brings much needed footfall and vibrancy in an area which is fast becoming a central hub for university and student activity.”
It was the second time that plans to build the block at 8-14 Agard Street had come before the city’s planning committee, but with previous concerns about being too near the road and likely to lead to a “canyon effect” trapping pollution in the street having been addressed satisfactorily, the decision to approve the application was passed unanimously 10-0 by members.
Developer Trent Pads’ revised plans site the development four metres back from the roadside, although it is now nearer to the garden of Grade I-listed Pickford’s House in Friar Gate.
Foote added: “It has been one our most complex schemes to navigate to date, being located within the Friar Gate conservation area, adjacent to the Grade I listed Pickford House and within an air quality monitoring zone.
“This is going to be one of the most prominent recent developments in Derby and as a local practice we are delighted to be providing such a positive contribution to the city.”
The developer has been asked to “contribute” to the council’s air quality action plan proposals in order to offset the scheme’s negative impact on air quality.
