Chichester University welcomes more purpose-built student accommodation

Despite heated resistance by residents, the development of a fully-managed student accommodation block in Fishbourne Road East, Chichester, comprising 134 student bed spaces across two purpose-built blocks, had the support of the university and squeaked through on June 17. Future ideas include a purpose-built 63-room accommodation block on Terminus Road, Chichester, plus a new landscaped campus incorporating 521 student housing units at the former Portfield Depot and UMA House at Shopwyke Road, a brownfield site owned by construction agency Osborne.

Under-supply

Kate Woods, Osborne’s head of group communications, cited 26 per cent growth in the past four years from UK students from outside the South East region.

Ms Woods said that current figures showed a ratio of 2.6 to 1 for every student bed, ‘way above the average of 2.1 to 1’, meaning that the Chichester market was under-supplied, with a particular shortage for second and third year returners. Osborne held a public exhibition on April 13, which she said identified that the proposed development would take the pressure off housing and help manage and relieve affordable housing’s availability for others.

She said: “Local residents also welcome it.”

Planning challenges

Both sites require formal planning applications as they do not have consent for use as student accommodation.

Although applications have not been made for either spot, a question mark has already been raised about the Shopwyke Road site as it lies in Flood Zone 2 – meaning flooding is more likely.

Ms Woods said that the site had never flooded, ‘not even in the floods of 1993-94’.

“With this knowledge and the installation of the River Lavant flood alleviation scheme, along with the proposals we have put forward, the Environment Agency are satisfied that flood risks can be mitigated.”

New numbers

The decision to agree the Fishbourne Road East site was triggered in part by data in the Local Plan, which states student numbers grew by 14 per cent in 2008-2011.

Given the research is already five years old, a Local Plan Review is scheduled to be adopted by 2019.

CDC said that work on this will include discussing student numbers and the need for more purpose-built student accommodation with the university and college, in terms of meeting existing needs and any planned growth.