Housing plan for Dolphin Hotel car park site in Southampton

An application to convert the Grade II-listed Dolphin Hotel into almost 100 student bedrooms was approved by the city council earlier this year.

Now Dolphin Hotel Property Ltd has submitted proposals to transform part of the building's car park.

If the scheme is given the go-ahead, the hotel site will end up providing a total of 261 student bed spaces.

The applicant is seeking consent to replace parking spaces with two purpose-built blocks, one of which will be seven storeys high.

Plans to provide 162 student bed spaces behind the Dolphin Hotel have been unveiled (Image: BRL Design/SCC planning portal)

It is the latest in a series of proposals that aim to ease the shortage of student accommodation in the city.

READ MORE: Photos show old Bank of England building in Southampton being demolished to make way for student housing

A design and access statement that accompanies the application says the site is only a short distance from Southampton's main commercial district and cultural attractions.

It adds: "Its central location makes it an ideal hub for students to access various amenities and services essential to their university experience.

"The hotel is surrounded by an array of shops, restaurants, cafes, and entertainment venues, catering to the diverse needs and preferences of students.

"Moreover, the site’s proximity to Southampton's universities and colleges makes it a prime location for student accommodation."

Plans to provide 162 student bed spaces behind the Dolphin Hotel have been unveiled (Image: BRL Design/SCC planning portal)

The statement says the scheme will provide students with easy access to public transport, including buses and trains.

It adds: "The development will enhance the vibrancy of the city centre, fostering increased activity and foot traffic.

"This revitalisation is expected to have a beneficial effect on local businesses, creating opportunities for economic growth and community engagement. Furthermore, the increased presence of students will contribute to natural surveillance, enhancing safety and security within the area."

READ MORE: Mixed reaction to plans to demolish car showroom to make way for student accommodation

The car park is behind the hotel and overlooks a street called Back Of The Walls.

"The design team has carefully developed the scheme to ensure the proposal delivers a contemporary development, providing much needed sustainable student housing in an appropriate location, and enhances the character of an under utilised and highly sustainable brownfield site."

Guests at the Dolphin Hotel have included Queen Victoria, Admiral Lord Nelson and novelist Jane Austen, who briefly lived in Southampton (Image: Newsquest)

The hotel, which was recently used to house asylum-seekers, is one of Southampton's most historic buildings.

Guests are said to have included Queen Victoria, Lord Nelson, and novelist Jane Austen, who briefly lived nearby and went dancing at the Dolphin on her 18th birthday.

Plans to convert the building were opposed by residents, tourism groups, and the Hampshire branch of the Jane Austen Society.

But councillors cited the demand for student housing in the city, which has two universities.