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[dire cons] 22/10/2016 20:33

'studentification'? WTF?

What do you want Reg, acres of Victorian squalid bedsits downgrading the beautiful City?
Students have moved on. Maybe you should do the same.

[spellbrook] 22/10/2016 08:25

hxxp://www.chesterchronicle.co.uk/news/chester-cheshire-news/chester-student-block-dubbed-oversized-12057383



Chester student block dubbed 'oversized, brutal and ugly' gets permission
19:00, 21 OCT 2016
BY DAVID HOLMES
Appeal inspector overturns decision of elected councillors to allow six-storey building in city centre

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An artist's impression of what the proposed 77-bed student block will look like off Hunter Street as seen from the ring road

A planning inspector rejected the views of councillors, residents and a heritage watchdog by allowing a six-storey student block described as ‘monstrousR17;.

In April, Cheshire West and Chester Council’s planning committee voted down the 77-bed managed complex on Hunter Street car park in the city centre.

Members concluded its design, scale and massing meant it was out of step with the neighbourhood and conservation area.

But inspector Jonathan Manning allowed Watkin Jones’ appeal disregarding objections by council leader Samantha Dixon, more than 60 residents and comments by Chester Civic Trust, who dubbed the building ‘oversized, brutal and ugly’.

READ MORE
Chester city centre student housing scheme kicked into touch
An artist's impression of what the proposed 77-bed student block will look like off Hunter Street
He instead agreed with Historic England and the council’s planning department who had recommended the scheme be approved.

The appeal site was currently an ‘unattractive’ car park, he said, while acknowledging the sensitive location to the rear of historic properties in King Street.

Regarding a controversial six-storey tower feature, he said: “Whilst the feature tower would be visible on the skyline, I am of the view that it would add visual interest to the corner when viewed from the street scene and also to the townscape when viewed from the wider area.”

But Labour council leader and ward member Samantha Dixon (Chester City) told the planning committee on decision day: “Ask yourselves, is this the listed building of the future? No, it isn’t. It isn’t needed. It isn’t wanted and it isn’t good enough.”

READ MORE
Chester student housing schemes take shape across the city
CWaC leader Cllr Samantha DixonCWaC leader Cllr Samantha Dixon
Opponent Faye Mustill, chairman of King Street Residents Association, recognised the plans had been modified to make the building more ‘visually acceptable’, but commented: “That said, residents are diametrically opposed to student accommodation as evidenced by the 60 letters of objection.”

Committee member Cllr Jill Houlbrook (Con, Upton) argued: “We’ve got the wonderful theatre being developed just up the road and now we are going to put what to me looks like a monstrous concrete-brick block just further down the road from it.”

The Hunter Street car park where the 77-bed student block will be built.
Watkin Jones planning director Iain Smith, addressing the committee, thanked council officers for their support, saying they had described the development as ‘a strong and confident building that can sit comfortably in the area’ with a ‘strong corner feature’.

As the developer and operator of two existing managed student schemes in Victoria Road and off City Road, his company fully appreciated the ‘sensitivities’ around student accommodation and the impact ‘uncontrollable’ houses of multiple occupancy (HMOs) have on surrounding residents.

READ MORE
Chester city centre student housing backed by planners
He asked: “Where should students in Chester live? It’s commonly recognised that managed accommodation is the answer as it has a continuous management presence and members of the community have a direct point of contact to address any concerns.”

Mr Smith said the appearance of the building was intended to fit with the Storyhouse cultural centre and plans for the Northgate Development.

Reg Barritt with a petition signed by more than 120 people challenging the council's decision not to address the issue of studentification in the draft Local Plan.
Commenting on the appeal decision, Reg Barritt, of Chester Community Voice UK, said: "The decision has not surprised my group as they were well aware Government policy is to allow provision for university expansion come what may not only in Chester but all across the UK in 'town and gown' conurbations."

He added: “It is not so much the decision that appals us as we have become used to such bad decisions being taken regarding the future of our city, including for example loss of potential sites to meet a more important need for other mixed residential housing development in the city.

"What is appalling is the way the decision has been taken with no public inquiry held. The local press were not aware of this decision taken a month ago and, bafflingly, the notification of it has yet to be posted on the CWaC planning application concerned with this matter.

"It is only by chance we have unearthed the decision and can now let the cat out of the bag about this."

[alphabeta4] 20/10/2016 17:31

Stupid thing is the non-uk student population is tiny - just over 10% from memory.
There's also an article on page 12 of today's Times that Hammond wants to exclude students from migrant curbs so it might not even happen.
I'm out at the moment but will dig out my research on the exact figures.

[alan@bj] 20/10/2016 17:01

Could be down to Hollande's comments that Britain will have to make "hard negotiations" about Brexit. You can always rely on the French.
He said: "Theresa May is coming today as a member of the European Council. She has not yet activated Article 50 so she is part of all the discussions about Europe. As long as the United Kingdom has not left, the United Kingdom is part of the EU. I say very firmly, (if) Mrs May wants a hard Brexit, the negotiations will be hard."

[shanklin] 20/10/2016 16:34

Wonder what Amber Thud and Theresa Can't have been banning today?

[spellbrook] 20/10/2016 14:29

Watkins Jones Group
24 min s ago...


The team at Leeds have handed over the sales and lounges to AIG for Site 2 at Leeds allowing their teams to progress the lettings last week.

The team have worked extremely long hours to have this very important milestone, well done to all involved!

[spellbrook] 18/10/2016 15:52

Watkin Jones Group added 4 new photos.
21 mins ·
Bagot Street, Birmingham update
This project is the construction of two blocks joined together by a single storey link building. It will include 492 student bedrooms. One block will be 17 storeys and the other 11 storeys in height.
The project is on programme to be completed July 2018. Level 1, Block A, has been poured and Ground Floor pour 1 will be poured this week! Well done to all involved.

[spellbrook] 18/10/2016 11:54

Quality is key for developers building student housing in Sheffield

A 784-bed complex of student a private flats planned for the site of Gordon Lamb Limited off Summerfield Road, Sheffield. Acanthus WSM Architects 16:49Monday 17 October 2016 0 HAVE YOUR SAY Developers adding to the huge portfolio of student housing in Sheffield are realising the need to add quality living that benefits the whole city. The latest application submitted to Sheffield Council is for a 550-bed complex on a vacant site in Rockingham Street. Site of new construction site for new student flats on Rockingham Street, Sheffield. The development would comprise three linked blocks, with a mixture of cluster bedrooms, studios and one-bed apartments. The complex would fill a large hole in Rockingham Street in an area which is rapidly being taken over by student housing, in a theme common across the city centre. Watkin Jones finished the neighbouring 280-bed Rockingham House in 2008. The Watkins Jones Group, founded by carpenter Huw Jones in 1791, shifted its focus to university accommodation in 1999, and since then has built flats to house more than 35,000 students across the country. The firm manages 41 student properties, including several in Sheffield city centre, such as the Cornerhouse complex in Edward Street and Sharman Court in Broad Lane. A further development of 139 studio apartments in Suffolk Street is due to open next year. A 550-bed student flat complex planned for Rockingham Street, Sheffield. The view from Rockingham Street. The firm says it works closely with councils and universities to ‘ensure high- quality, appropriately designed schemes that enhance local amenity’. Across Sheffield, plans for three more major student complexes have been submitted since August: an 11-storey, 284-bed block in Mayfield Court, off West Street; a 243-bed develoment off Hollis Croft; and a four-block mixed use project with 40 student cluster flats in Ecclesall Road. And there are several schemes under construction, including the conversion of an office block in West Bar. With both the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam University attracting more students each year, the need for accommodation is obvious. But student accommodation can no longer just be a block of flats. Increasingly, developers are trying to add something more to the city. Nowhere is this more obvious than in Summerfield Street. On Tuesday, city councillors approved a plan to build a 784-bed complex of student and private flats on the former Gordon Lamb car dealership site, near Ecclesall Road. A report to councillors ahead of Tuesday’s meeting explained that the scale of the development – 10 storeys – was acceptable in the area. And council officers highlighted some of the public realm aspects of the application. They said: “A new pedestrian walkway linking Napier Street to Summerfield Street along the banks of the Porter Brook is proposed. “This is welcomed as it improves pedestrian permeability along the strategic green network.” Both universities are taking public realm into account in their own developments, from Hallam’s extensive remodelling of the area along Arundel Gate, to the University of Sheffield’s pedestrianisation of much of its campus. However, the Rockingham Street development has raised some concern. The University of Sheffield’s head of property and business services Chris Garlick has already commented on the planning application, noting the proximity to engineering department buildings on the other side of the road. He wrote: “The established use of the university’s buildings means there is noise and fumes created from the buildings, which operate on a 24-hour-a-day basis. “The university therefore has concerns that the proposed development of a 550 student bedspaces with ground floor commercial units in this location would not be a suitable use. “The university would not wish for the proposed development to affect the current or future use of the university’s accommodation in this location.”

Read more at: hxxp://www.thestar.co.uk/news/quality-is-key-for-developers-building-student-housing-in-sheffield-1-8185956

[eggbaconandbubble] 17/10/2016 17:25

What's odd about it?

[spellbrook] 17/10/2016 12:08

once again odd trading....

[spellbrook] 16/10/2016 09:17

Worth another read......

[spellbrook] 13/10/2016 17:19

Watkin Jones Group
4 hrs ·
We are delighted to have been short listed for the 'Best Newcomer Award' in the stock exchange awards, which are being held tonight in London!

[alphabeta4] 13/10/2016 13:28

Big piece in The Times today on immigration linked to student numbers. Key points are exit checks reintroduced last April suggest the problem of international students overstaying visas may be grossly overestimated. It shows 1500 overstaying vs previous ONS method showing 84000.
Other key point is international student growth was 1% in the last 12 months for the UK so growing student population numbers were driven off indigenous population not immigration.

[spellbrook] 13/10/2016 11:55

Watkin Jones Group added 3 new photos.
5 mins ·
Fresh Student Living pick up not one, not two, but three awards!!!
The inaugural Student Housing Leadership Awards recognises the top talent from across the emerging, vibrant Student Housing industry. Organised by The Property Recruitment Company the SHLA are an industry first and aim to shape best practice, recognise exceptional contributions and raise the standard of the Student Housing industry.
On Wednesday 12th October 2016 at the exclusive White Loft in Southwark, Central London Fresh Student Living picked up three awards.
Francesca Plowman (Darley Bank, Derby) - Customer Service of the Year
Foss Studios - Site Team of the Year
Caroline Cannon (Europa, Liverpool) - Accommodation Manager of the Year
The teams are extremely proud to have been recognised in these categories.
Well done from the WJ Team!

[spellbrook] 13/10/2016 11:54

Watkin Jones Group added 3 new photos.
5 mins ·
Fresh Student Living pick up not one, not two, but three awards!!!
The inaugural Student Housing Leadership Awards recognises the top talent from across the emerging, vibrant Student Housing industry. Organised by The Property Recruitment Company the SHLA are an industry first and aim to shape best practice, recognise exceptional contributions and raise the standard of the Student Housing industry.
On Wednesday 12th October 2016 at the exclusive White Loft in Southwark, Central London Fresh Student Living picked up three awards.
Francesca Plowman (Darley Bank, Derby) - Customer Service of the Year
Foss Studios - Site Team of the Year
Caroline Cannon (Europa, Liverpool) - Accommodation Manager of the Year
The teams are extremely proud to have been recognised in these categories.
Well done from the WJ Team!

[its the oxman] 12/10/2016 14:05

Fingers crossed anyway.

[its the oxman] 12/10/2016 14:05

Chart , trades , recent test of 130p and expectation of further positive newsflow all suggest a move higher to me. Just briefly fighting the current, overly aggressive sell off , re domestic plays / property stocks.

[spellbrook] 11/10/2016 10:17

trades are still random

[its the oxman] 11/10/2016 09:32

Pressure growing for a break higher. Looking forward to the next update.

[2vdm] 05/10/2016 10:44

Shanklin thanks for the post with Rudd's speech. Having read the bit about intl. students,we will to see more detail to assess if it will affect WJG

[shanklin] 04/10/2016 13:18

Surprisingly reasonable on the foreign students front from Amber Rudd...

[glaws2] 04/10/2016 09:20

Thanks for all the articles Spellbrook

[spellbrook] 04/10/2016 09:19

Watkin Jones Group added 2 new photos.
34 mins ·
Take a look at the pictures below of our crane dismantle on Morfa Road, Swansea, by Skyline cranes.
The crane has been dismantled 3 months ahead of programme! Well done!

[spellbrook] 04/10/2016 09:13

The UK is facing a shortfall of 1.8m rental properties unless the government acts fast to slow a sharp drop in the number of available homes, according to a leading housing industry body.