PLANS for a 349-flat student hall of residence in Southampton are set to be unveiled.

Developer Orchard Homes has unveiled £20m plans for the complex near Portswood Road.

If the plans are approved, the former Portswood Bus Depot could welcome its first student residents in 2017.

Another part of the former depot is now a 9,730sq m Sainsbury’s supermarket completed in 2012 after years of wrangling over its size.

Orchard Homes is to submit plans for the new hall of residence at the junction of Portswood and Belmont Roads to the city council later this year.

If they are approved, three buildings would be created varying from four to six storeys and containing 349 flats, of which the developer says a “significant number” would be occupied by postgraduate students.

The developer says the building will not be higher than the supermarket next door and will go down to four storeys facing Belmont Road.

Hundreds of jobs are expected to be created during construction as well as ten full-time posts once the building is completed.

If consent is granted this year, work could begin early next year and it could be ready for occupation in September 2017.

Orchard Homes’ managing director, Ken Lake, said: “We very much hope that local people will back this proposal which, if approved, would free up family houses currently occupied by students in Portswood and Highfield for local families.

“The location of the halls of residence at the heart of Portswood is ideal in terms of access to the Highfield campus, shops and bus routes. The halls will be of sufficient size to provide on-site amenities and 24 hour management by staff.

“We are aware that since 2002 student numbers in Southampton have increased by 6,500, and this growth has outpaced new student accommodation.

“This development helps provide much needed bed spaces relieving pressure on the local community.”

The plans will be on show at a public exhibition from 4-8pm on July 6 at Highfield House Hotel.

Portswood councillor Matthew Claisse said there was a big question mark over where students’ cars would park. He said there were already parking issues in nearby streets.

“The obvious issue is parking.

“It’s quite a large site and there are going to be a lot of students. At the moment there are issues with parking in the surrounding streets and if students decide to take cars to that particular residence there is a big question mark over where they are going to park so I am keen to see how that is going to work.”