Planning Rejected for Student Housing in Cardiff

Plans for a potential six-storey student accommodation scheme in Cardiff have been rejected after opposition from local councillors.

An apartment block was set for construction following the demolition of the pre-existing building. a former carpet and furniture shop.

Submitted by C2J Architects, the 6-storey student scheme was set to provide accommodation as well as ground floor retail space.

The refusal of the plans by the council's planning committee was based on arguments from local residents that there was already too much student housing in the area.

Five apartments each comprising five bedrooms were planned for the block.

The design access statement submitted to the council last year read: "Over the past 10-15 years there has been an unprecedented increase in the number of students studying in Cardiff.

"Purpose-built student accommodation in the city over the past 10 years has provided almost 9,000 additional bed spaces, providing an alternative to students living in general housing and making an important contribution to the housing stock."

"The application proposal would further assist in the freeing up of family houses within the city as a result of students being more likely to be accommodated with managed student accommodation is therefore a favourable material consideration to this application."

A letter written by the Plasnewydd councillors argued against the development. It read: "While students are always a welcome part of the community, the sheer volume creates an imbalance. As councillors, we are aware of the impact to our area brought about by a great number of students and their need for accommodation."

"While we have no objection to students and welcome them each year, it is recognised that one of the impacts is an imbalance in our community and this has been recognised by the Supplementary Planning Guidance adopted by Cardiff CounciI in recent years to address this. These policies have begun to work but any further introduction of accommodation specifically used for students would be a backward step in this process."

They added: "This development would add to at least 7 major purpose-built student accommodation in or near City Road, which have provided almost 1,000 rooms between them. We therefore consider this proposal for an additional student rooms to be an unsustainable overdevelopment in this already saturated market, contrary to Cardiff CounciI's Student Accommodation Supplementary Planning Guidance."

The decision for this refusal comes just weeks after a large, 400-bed, 18-storey block for Cardiff Sixth Form College was given the green light in Cardiff Bay.