Student accommodation receives unanimous support
Proposals for a five-storey student accommodation building in York are set to be formally approved.
The plans for the site of Aubrey House, Foss Islands Road, were considered by members of York City Council’s planning committee at a meeting on 6 January.
Councillors unanimously recommended the development should be given permission. But as this was an informal meeting held virtually due to Covid related restrictions, the committee’s recommendation must be ratified by the council’s chief operating officer.
The scheme, which includes demolition of two existing properties on the site, has been put forward by Urbanite, S & JD Robertson Group Ltd and Portman Land Ltd.
Once complete, the new building will feature 11 cluster flats providing 62 bed spaces and 19 studio flats, along with a communal room and a roof terrace.
A planning officer’s report had recommended conditional approval for the project, noting: “The application site is in a sustainable location.
“The proposed development is not considered to result in harm to residential amenity or highway safety, nor would the proposal have an unacceptable impact on ecology on or adjacent to the site.
“The proposal would provide student accommodation where there is need within the city, and would benefit the wider housing supply.”
Emma Lancaster, the agent speaking on behalf of the applicant, told councillors at the meeting that demand for student accommodation in York is high and currently outstrips supply.
She warned failure to provide this type of accommodation would stifle the growth of the city’s student population, which would in turn damage the local economy.
