August 6, 2019 12.59 pm This story is over 55 months old

New student town houses to be approved despite university concerns

The university said it would be ‘surplus to demand’
Visuals of the proposed town houses on Beevor Street.

City of Lincoln councillors look set to approve 51 new student town houses in the city, despite objections from the University of Lincoln that it would be “surplus to demand”.

A proposal by Stem Architects and Morrisons would see the accommodation built on the former Windmill Pine site on Beevor Street.

Seven four storey blocks are proposed for the site which would provide 361 en-suite rooms on land behind Morrisons on Tritton Road.

A total of 42 six-bed, two nine-bed and seven 13-bed houses of multiple occupation are proposed for the development.

51 town houses would be built as part of the plans for Beevor Street in Lincoln.

As part of the proposal, a new reception would also be built and a pedestrian link to Tritton Road between Morrisons car park and Coulson drain.

99 car parking spaces would also be provided.

The city council’s planning committee have been recommended to approve the plan at a meeting on August 14.

The developer said the houses would be aimed at first and second year students, postgraduates, as well as workers and visiting lecturers.

In its plan, it said there was a “shortfall” in town house accommodation for students.

More visuals of the Beevor Street town houses site behind Morrisons’ on Tritton Road.

It said: “This demand for rented accommodation already puts pressure on the housing stock in Lincoln and with the implementation of Article Four which restricts further the number of HMOs in Lincoln city centre there is a definite shortfall in rented town house accommodation for the student market.

“In addition to this many of the properties available to students are not of the highest quality and there is a strong belief that private landlords are not always best placed to look after student welfare.

“Therefore creating bespoke town house accommodation and communities to house second and third year students is seen as a positive way of addressing these issues.”

But, in a letter to the authority, the University of Lincoln raised concern about the proposals.

A visual of the town houses from Morrisons’ car park.

Harvey Dowdy, director of estates at the university, said the proposal has had “no encouragement” from the institution.

She said: “While a member of university staff has had some contact with the developer who asked for information regarding some technical matters, we wish to make it clear that the university has neither encouraged this development nor more specifically has it engaged in any dialogue with the developer with a view to entering into any arrangement with them in the future.”

Ms Dowdy added that the university had concerns that the plan would deliver accommodation that would be “surplus to demand”.

She said the university was already satisfied that demand would be met by the approval of the St Marks development in December 2018, which will see 1,300 flats built.

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