Student accommodation secures Leicester approval

Despite a committee member decrying the ‘sheer lack of architectural ambition,’ a 125-bedspace proposal for St Nicholas Gate was nodded through by eight votes to two.

Pending the all-clear from a full archaeological study, the applicant Mandeep Dhadwar may proceed with the demolition of existing buildings, to be replaced by a block of four to seven storeys containing student accommodation.

This represents an amended version of an earlier, similar plan that reached nine storeys.

As outlined, the development now is to be made up of 102 studio apartments, a three-bed cluster flat and five four-bed cluster flats. The scheme was called before committee due to an outstanding objection from the council’s conservation advisory panel, and a handful of other objections.

Staniforth Architects has designed the scheme. Trigpoint Conservation & Planning is also on the professional team, along with transport planner Lennon.

Following the scheme’s presentation to committee, Cllr Patrick Kitterick declared that “this proposal is so depressing,” adding that “the thing that strikes me is the sheer lack of architectural ambition”.

The councillor said he could not vote for the proposal, saying that the city must learn from previous mistakes made in what is a key gateway area, opining that “blocky, impermeable” design and a lack of open space have become too common. However, other committee members disagreed, stating they had no problems with the design.

The application site includes 150 St Nicholas Circle, 1 – 7 Bath Lane (the former Brucciani’s bakery) and 13 Bath Lane, and is located to the west of St Nicholas Circle, with St Augustine Road to the south, Bath Lane to the west and Talbot Lane to the north-east.

Sitting adjacent to the where the listed West Bridge crosses the River Soar, the site is within the Waterside regeneration area. As set out in the officer report the former bakery buildings are identified within the Waterside supplementary planning document as making a positive contribution to the Waterside area – however, there is no official designation.

Crucially, Leicester lacks supply both of housing and purpose-built student accommodation, as summed  up in the planning officer’s conclusion: “The development will contribute to housing supply numbers in the city which is a significant factor in the absence of a five year housing land supply, and may also allow some release of pressure on the use of private rented housing stock by students deciding to live in this purpose-built student accommodation rather than a shared house.”

Documents relating to the project can be viewed on LCC’s planning portal, reference 20221210.