Controversial accommodation plans get thumbs up
A £35m student accommodation development has been given the green-light by Leicester City Council's planning committee.
The controversial proposals, which attracted more than 300 complaints, were given the go-ahead subject to a legal agreement at a meeting on Tuesday night (22 November).
Plans for the student accommodation on the Western Road site comprise four buildings totalling between five and eight floors.
Two five-storey blocks will accommodate the 581 bedspaces while the two larger buildings house utilities, a cafe, gym, reception and staff areas.
Proposals were submitted by Jamie Lewis Residential Lettings, and have been altered after concerns were raised regarding the original scheme's scale and height in 2010.
Initial plans proposed a building of up to 15 storeys comprising 1,000 student beds.
But despite the alterations, a petition attracting 117 signatures has been submitted by local residents objecting to the development, joining an original 192-strong letter of protest which was re-submitted.
The petition brought by Upperton Road Area Residents' Association (UARA), raised concerns regarding lack of need for more student accommodation; loss of daylight; increase in noise and anti-social behaviour.
Additional complaints were received on the grounds of lack of privacy for nearby residents; a "clash of lifestyles"; and the high number of similar schemes either underway or developed within the area.
The £35m accommodation scheme will be primarily used for students at De Montfort University and are set to create "hundreds of jobs", said Jamie Lewis Residential Lettings.
