Plans Submitted for a New £20 Million Block in Southampton

According to the Southern Daily Echo a derelict former bus depot in Southampton might soon be converted into a £20 million student accommodation development.

Plans have been formally submitted to the city council to turn the Portswood site into 443 student bedrooms, situated across a mixture of student flats. But as ever, the plans have been met with hostility by locals who say that there are already enough student properties in the area.

Orchard Homes (the developer behind the project) is looking to build their three-to-six-storey block comprised of 260 flats. The project is expected to create hundreds of jobs if given the go-ahead, and would also be manned by 10 full-time staff upon completion.

The manager of Orchard Homes Ken Lake said, "The growth in student numbers over recent years has only in part been matched by new best in class accommodation.

"As one of the top universities, the University of Southampton attracts a wide range of high quality students, many of whom demand accommodation of the quality that we propose at Portswood Road.

"This scheme is orientated towards postgraduate and international students who have a clear need for a high quality residential environment in which to study, in a sustainable location close to the local facilities of Portswood Road and the university campus."

A decision is due to be made by October 28^th.

Image courtesy of Flickr, Creative Commons.