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Search the Public Notice PortalContentious plans for a “behemoth” student housing scheme in Southampton city centre have been approved.
The redevelopment of the vacant Commercial Point office block at the corner of Commercial Road and Morris Road will provide 707 bed spaces.
Objectors to the scheme voiced their opposition to the council’s planning and rights of way panel, with one suggesting the scheme would fit in with the skylines of Singapore and Hong Kong.
Applicant Moda Living said the project, which involves demolishing the existing 25-year-old building, will deliver a “high-quality student neighbourhood”.
Councillors were told the scheme would be car free, with five accessible parking bays provided on the site and bike stores offering a total of 354 spaces.
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Tessa Barrett, who has lived in Morris Road for 50 years, said there had been changes in the area but nothing “as dramatic and as horrendous as this proposal”.
“We are not living in Singapore,” said Ms Barrett.
“We are not living in Hong Kong.
“This little corner on the corner of Morris Road should not be used to raise up this building, which in its height will be 60 metres tall.
“It’s taller than the Civic Centre clock.”
"The proposed building is unaesthetic, unimaginative and has nothing to do with the area,” Ms Barrett said.
She added: “I don’t want to get out of my house in the morning and look at this behemoth down at the end of the road.”
The site is in a “tall building cluster” area in the council’s planning policies, officers said.
Andy Gravell, of City of Southampton Society, said the panel had seen a “flood” of student accommodation schemes in recent months.
“The council is supposed to be in favour of green and net zero,” said Mr Gravell.
“We cannot afford to be putting up buildings and knocking them down again 25 years later.”
Moda planning director James Blakey said the scheme had been amended and refined following engagement with nearby Polygon School.
“The proposals have been designed to deliver a high-quality built neighbourhood which we intend to manage and operate 24/7 with a dedicated on-site team,” Mr Blakey.
“This is not a speculative scheme.”
Gavin Hall, planning director at Savills, said the development was “significant and unusual” in delivering a mix of student accommodation – 238 studios and 63 cluster flats.
There were calls to extend the Rollesbrook Greenway through to Commercial Road. Officers said this involved private land and it was strongly opposed by Polygon School.
There would be daylight and sunlight impact on existing residential properties in the area, but this had been considered acceptable overall, the panel was told.
The application had been recommended for approval by planning officers, who highlighted the council did not have a five-year land supply for housing and was not meeting its housing targets.
At present, student housing is regarded as part of the housing mix towards these figures.
Chair Cllr Vivienne Windle said most of the panel were concerned about the development.
She added: “We are in a situation where it wouldn’t stand up to an appeal if we were to say that we didn’t like this.”
