PLANS to turn an "eyesore" piece of derelict land into Freemantle's newest student quarters have been refused by Southampton City Council.

Developers had earmarked land at Shirley Road as a plot where three-storey student accommodation could be built.

The redevelopment of the site, which has sat unused since 2012, would have seen six six-bedroom cluster flats, with external alterations made to the existing building at 63 Shirley Road.

However in rejecting the plans, city council officials cited the proposal as an "overdevelopment" with a "poor design".

As previously reported in the Daily Echo, Freemantle ward councillors expressed their approval of the plans, which would have provided rooms for 36 students.

Cllr Dave Shields said: "That patch of land has been left derelict for an awfully long time so it’s pleasing that the developers are choosing to do something with that area."

Cllr Jeremy Moulton added: “The site has been boarded up for many years and has become a complete eyesore for residents, attracting fly-tipping and endless complaints about it. I’m really pleased to see that it could be bought back into use. "

The application was submitted by Sarisbury Green-based firm Knight Architectural Design, which said its unnamed client was forced to demolish the 59 and 61 Shirley Road in 2012 as it had become structurally unsafe.

The architects added in its application: "Research by CBRE [a property company] has found the combined university population in the city is almost 31,000 and only 7% presently live in private halls.

"Approximately a third live in HMOs and it is estimated that over 15,000 students would like the opportunity to live in purpose built private accommodation.

"This proposal would equate to approximately six family houses being either returned to family use or not being threatened with conversion."

In refusing the applications, an official wrote: "The poor design, proposed layout and excessive level of site coverage is symptomatic of a proposal that results in both an overdevelopment of the site and a development that is out of character with the established pattern of development within Shirley Road.

"Furthermore, the chosen building line, size of the refuse and cycle storage and subsequent level of car parking spaces provided to the site frontage alter the dominant building line which contributes towards the existing character of Shirley Road."