Councillors have approved plans to build accommodation for 926 students at the University of Bath.
How the new student flats at the University of Bath would look | Image © University of Bath
Bath & North East Somerset Council’s planning committee heard that the “much-needed” student accommodation at the university’s Claverton Down campus would create somewhere for students to thrive, and reduce the pressure on HMOs and private rentals in the city.
The university’s chief operating officer said: “The delivery of 926 bedspaces will allow the university to offer on-campus accommodation to all of our first year students.”
The buildings would be built on sports pitches on the eastern edge of the campus and would involve building over two tennis courts. The university says it will replace them with two padel courts.
Planning committee member Councillor Toby Simon (Bathwick, Liberal Democrat) said: “For me, the important part is that it allows the university to provide on-site accommodation for their first years, which has been a long time objective of this authority.
“The harms identified are outweighed by the advantages and mitigations proposed. I am very conscious that we need to work with universities.”
Councillor Ian Halsall (Oldfield Park, Liberal Democrat), whose ward includes the city’s student area, said: “The university has to grow to be sustainable. It contributes so much to the gross value added in this city and its reputation.”
He said that he originally thought that the design of the eight blocks of student accommodation looked “a little Soviet”, but thought that the proposed materials made up for this. He said: “It’s not going to win awards for its architecture but it is a good design.”
He added: “We’ve got to remember this is a 1960s campus. It’s a concrete jungle. It is already having an impact, and I don’t think this development is going to increase any harm.”
Planning officers estimated that the student accommodation would remove the need for the equivalent of 386 student houses in the wider city, but some councillors disagreed.
Councillor Shaun Hughes (Midsomer Norton North said: “From what I can see, this will increase the number of HMOs developed in our city.
“If you have a thousand more students coming into accommodation for their first year that are then seeking HMOs for their next two to three years, it’s going to put more demand on HMOs, not less.”
Councillor Fiona Gourley (Bathavon South, Liberal Democrat) said the plans would be beneficial for students.
She added: “It’s been decades since the last major residential development at the university. And actually, seeing some of the accommodation that was put up in the early days, this looks like a huge improvement.”
Councillors voted 5-2 with one abstention to delegate power to their planning officers to grant planning permission for the application.
John Wimperis, Local Democracy Reporter
