Southampton: Hulse Road student housing plan approved

Southampton City Council has approved an application relating to the 50-year-old St Margaret's House, a four-storey building with 100 bed spaces.

St Margaret's will be demolished to make way for a five-storey complex boasting almost 200 beds.

The Hulse Road scheme aims to ease Southampton's shortage of PBSA - Purpose Built Student Accommodation.

It could also free up family-sized homes in the city by cutting the number of people living in HMOs - Houses of Multiple Occupation.

Plan to provide accommodation for almost 200 students at Hulse Road, Southampton, have been approved (Image: WGP Architects)

A planning statement that formed part of the application described St Margaret's House as a "tired, utilitarian building".

It said the proposed development would maximise the provision and quality of student accommodation on the site and "significantly enhance" the character of Hulse Road.

READ MORE: Student housing site could double its capacity under plans submitted to city council

As well as boasting 198 bed spaces the scheme will offer a raft of facilities including a gym, a cinema, and social spaces on each floor.

Improvements to existing grassed areas in the grounds will offer places where students can relax and socialise.

Plans o provide accommodation for almost 200 students at Hulse Road, Southampton, have been approved (Image: WGP Architects)

The report said: "The development will be largely hidden behind trees and will replace the current undistinguished building with a characterful building of high quality."

"Overall, it will significantly improve the quality and sustainability of the student housing and will contribute to fulfilling the increasing demand for student homes within Southampton."

READ MORE: Residents hit out at plans to build five-storey block of student housing near their homes

As reported, some of the neighbours hit out at the "inappropriate" plan, saying the block would overlook their homes.

But the scheme has been approved by the council, subject to the completion of a 106 legal agreement.

The site is near Solent University and the University of Southampton (Image: Newsquest)

A council report said: "The design has evolved following thorough pre-application discussions and an assessment of the building’s relationship with nearby heritage assets.

"The design objective has been to produce the most sustainable purpose-built student accommodation in Southampton."

The report said the top floor would be set back, reducing the building's bulk and mass and lessening its visual impact.

It added that the proposed development would not be unduly dominant or overbearing when viewed from neighbouring gardens.

The application was submitted by Barsad Investments, with Boyer acting as its agent.

Alice Moore, associate director in Boyer's London office, said: "Quality student accommodation is in short supply in Southampton, as with so many other cities.

"In doubling the number of units currently available on the site, this scheme goes some way to meeting the very pressing need."