A 188-BED student apartment complex, which could be built in the centre of Southampton, will go before planners tonight (Nov 13).

Proposed to be built in the city’s Old Town area, the site will feature a five- to six-storey apartment block, as well as another four-storey management and accommodation building which backs on to Castle Way.

Only four car park spaces will serve the development, which sits opposite Southampton’s oldest pub, The Red Lion, but the plans say they will be used for drop offs and pick ups. A gym, communal recreation area, plant room, and cycle store have also been proposed.

Three “commercial units”, which have been labelled as retail, will be built into the ground floor of the main building, facing High Street. A lounge/café is also proposed.

 

If given the green-light at Southampton City Council’s Planning and Right of Way committee this evening, three buildings – two of which are unused – will be bulldozed, including Rocket Ronnies(CORR) Pool Hall on Castle Way.

The plans have been earmarked for approval by council planning officers.

However, neighbours have blasted the plans, claiming that student accommodation is “out of character” with the Old Town area, and late night noise and anti-social behaviour will become a common occurrence.

But applicant Lainston Lupa LLP disagrees, adding that to “reinforce the local distinctiveness of the Old Town” Castle Way will be widened to “reinstate a historic street pattern”, and a pedestrian route through the site leading from High Street to Castle Way will also be built, to re-establish the historic ‘Market Lane’ path.

Case officer Mathew Pidgeon also noted that the site would achieve a “positive relationship with the surrounding area”.

He said: “Currently the site has a poor-quality appearance. The proposal, by contrast would introduce genuine active frontages to the street.

 

“Having regard to the city centre and highly accessible location of the site, it is considered to be appropriate to accommodate a significant body of student accommodation. The provision of a ground floor commercial use assists in providing an active frontage whilst retaining an employment use on the site.

“The proposal would meet an identified need for this type of housing in the city and submitted information demonstrates that a high-quality development would be achieved that has a positive relationship with the surrounding area.”

The meeting will be held in Conference Rooms Three and Four at Southampton Civic Centre from 6pm.