Uphill Lincoln student tower blocks up for approval despite residents’ uproar

Plans to build accommodation for nearly 300 students near Yarborough Leisure Centre are set to be approved next week, despite objections from local residents.

Bishop Grosseteste University’s proposals for the City of Lincoln Council-owned land on Riseholme Road will go before the authority’s planning committee on Wednesday.

They include plans for four two/three storey buildings and five three/four storey buildings, along with reception, laundry facilities and warden accommodation. Just 17 parking spaces will be provided for unloading and staff parking only.

A previous application, which included 295 bedspaces with teaching facilities and an on-site café, was refused but the university says it has made a number of changes to the new proposals.

They include a reduced footprint of buildings and increased distance from Riseholme Road, reduced scale, the loss of a teaching space, a reduction of parking spaces down from 40 and plans to keep trees to the front of the site.

The land is allocated for housing in the local plan.

How the site had been laid out. | Image: BGU

Recommending approval, council officers said: “The previous refusal reason relating to height and massing of the buildings have been overcome by the revised application.

“The development would relate well to the site and surroundings, particularly in relation to siting, height, scale, massing, and design.

“The proposal allows BGU to continue to develop and ensures that there is little impact on their neighbours and the wider city.”

However, more than 30 residents have objected to the plans citing concerns over the density and height of the buildings, as well as the increase in traffic they believe it will bring to the area.

They fear that with a ban on parking on site students will instead park on nearby streets.

Susan Nock said: “I am disappointed but not surprised that the council has sold this last green open space on Riseholme Road, the fourth recently to be allocated for intensive development.

“This policy of intensively developing every scrap of open space in Lincoln is so short-sighted.

“How can four-storey blocks be considered as being well integrated with, and contributing positively to, a low rise residential area like Riseholme Road?”

An artist’s image of the planned accommodation. | Image: BGU

Deputy leader of the Conservative opposition on the council, Christopher Reid said: “The applicants hope that limiting parking spaces will discourage people from bringing cars and that steps will be taken against those students that do bring cars and park them nearby, however I do not believe that in reality this is feasible.

“Unfortunately, there are those who will bring cars to university, and if there is no parking facilities available will find somewhere else to park, quite possibly in residential streets such as Thonock Close, where there are already issues around parking, something that will only be made worse. ”

Objections have also come from the Lincoln Civic Trust which says that although it is a “far better plan than the previous application” it still has concerns.

NHS England has also said the development would put additional demands on GP services and requested a sum of £80,575 towards new facilities at the Lindum and Minister Medical Practices.