Not available to non students

Planners have refused to rubber stamp a developer’s plans to let its student flats to professionals after it said it struggled to find tenants.

SE Properties said its Hollingdean Road development was “not currently viable” as purely student housing. It applied to Brighton and Hove City Council for a certificate to say it was lawful to let part of it to non-students, on the basis this wouldn’t change the usage of the blocks significantly.

But the council has refused its application, saying letting to non-students would have a “significant planning impact” – and could be a way to build co-living blocks by the back door.

In her report, planning officer Sonia Gillam said: “The application states that the site is not currently viable as PBSA-only in the current market, although no evidence has been submitted to demonstrate why this is the case, or demonstrate the need for the co-living space.”

She outlined council policies which encourage purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA), particularly in the Lewes Road area, which make it easier for developers to get planning permission for student blocks.

For instance, the site on Hollingdean Road had been earmarked for student housing before the developer submitted its plans.

‘Significant demand’ for student flats

She also said the council’s most recent assessment of the student housing market indicated there should be significant current demand, as there are twice as many students as spaces in student blocks.

The council has no specific policies for co-living, which means developers have to clearly demonstrate how they meet an identified housing need in the city.

Ms Gillam added: “Furthermore, given that private co-living units are (generally and in this case) below minimum residential space standards, the shared communal spaces are important in ensuring that the quality of the overall residential amenity is acceptable.

“This is quite different to spaces required by PBSA which is primarily focused on offering individual study rooms and convenience to campus and university buildings where the occupants are likely to be in the accommodation for a fixed and much shorter period of time.

Clash of lifestyles between students and other residents

“With regard to the application site, the communal areas are to the ground floor only and relatively limited. Additionally, flexibility across the site could cause conflict between students and co-living residents living in close proximity with different lifestyles and daily routines.”

When the scheme was originally approved in 2020, council officers expressed concerns that no university or college was officially interested in sending students to the blocks. They asked councillors on Brighton and Hove City Council’s planning committee to reject the scheme. The committee – which only had three councillors as it was meeting during covid restrictions – voted to approve the scheme.

Source: Brighton and Hove News