Build for families, not yet more student flats

YOUR paper carried a major story about a massive student development in Little Holme Street, off Braunstone Gate (“Developer eyes site for massive student development in city,” Augsut 1).

The development will have about 700 rooms for students, including a gym, cinema lounge and leisure facilities.

Leicester Civic Society feels that this is a waste of valuable resources, particularly land, and, at a time when student numbers, particularly for De Montfort University, are expected to decline, likely to be short-term project.

When Leicester is crying out for more affordable living in the city centre, we feel that this site should be developed for families and residents, not yet another student village.

These developments are built to much smaller dimensions than family housing and most of them are unable to be converted to family accommodation at a later date.

This is a shortsighted development which takes no account of the available housing stock for permanent residents.

Such developments also alter the demographic profile of the area in which they are placed, as student accommodation is empty for almost one third of the year, creating a parttime economy.

Leicester City Council should reject this proposal, or at the very least insist any further student development within the city is able to be converted to family living accommodation at some future date.

It really is time to say no to more student accommodation, and to start to place the emphasis on the permanent residents of the city.

Ike Easingwood, chairman,

Leicester Civic Society