Council to refuse Hulme student flats plan

A PLAN to build a student accommodation block on the site of a vacant pub in Hulme could be knocked back by Manchester City Council this week.

Styal-based developer Crosslane wants to demolish the Gamecock pub on Boundary Lane and construct an 11-storey tower with 48 apartments for 180 students.

But council officers have recommended the plan is refused at a committee meeting tomorrow.

They say Crosslane has not demonstrated there is demand for the accommodation and the design would be “over-dominant” in the area.

The council has received 61 letters and a 19-name petition in protest at the plans.

They say Hulme, just south of the city centre, already has the third highest concentration of student residents at 22%.

There are also concerns over the size of the building, traffic congestion, anti-social behaviour and the loss of the pub.

The housing association Guinness Northern Counties has also objected. Crosslane, which is handling the plans through its Prime Student Living subsidiary, could not be reached for comment.