Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Bid to expand uni housing
Student accommodation plans at the former Franciscan International Study Centre in Canterbury are likely to be expanded to provide a further 107 beds. The centre in Giles Lane, close to the University of Kent, opened in the 1970s but closed in 2017 due to falling enrolment.
The three-acre site was subsequently put up for sale and bought by Empiric, which specialises in developing student accommodation across the UK, for £5.8 million.
A previous vision for the first phase delivering more than 150 beds was approved in 2018, and now developers have proposed an extension.
But before the new planning application was submitted, the site was marketed for letting. Eight parties registered an interest in the plot, and three went along to view it.
Had they followed through, it could have been transformed into a performing arts centre, an independent school or even a Buddhist centre. However, all three parties pulled out. Feedback over its location, lack of parking, size and configuration highlighted that the building is no longer suited to cater for an institution. The old Block C study centre, which was previously a Christian adult school, is earmarked for demolition as part of the plans.
It will be replaced by a three-storey student accommodation hub. Combining the two phases of development together brings the total number of student bed spaces up to 267. Highways teams, police and Natural England have raised no objections to the plans. Developers say: “By improving and extending the site and facilities available at FISC, the University of Kent will be futureproofed to continue to support and foster the student community and in turn the wider residential and business community.”