Student flats plan in city is welcomed
344 APARTMENTS TO BE BUILT, BUT CRITICS WANT HOUSING
A COMMUNITY has praised plans for a 790-bedroom student development that will also include affordable family homes.
Nottingham City Council approved plans for 344 apartments at the derelict Forest Mill site in Alfreton Road, Radford.
The scheme by applicant Olympian Homes would also include a large gym, a retail unit and 19 affordable homes.
The building would replace an office tower which was demolished in 2019.
The £1.9m development would stretch across Denman Street, Highurst Street and Boden Street.
The application was granted planning permission with only one abstention from Councillor Kevin Clarke.
Maggi Hristova, 30, a cleaner and part-time student in Hyson Green, added: “I think it is really good for the area as there are many local businesses here who will benefit from it.
“I work as a cleaner for students renting flats so this will definitely benefit me personally and others businesses that thrive off of students in the city.
“Also for students, there will be more choices in terms of restaurants and shops locally. It may cause inconvenience given it’s 790 students but the area can manage that.”
Lisa Hemsworth, 25, of Radford, who works in admin at Nottingham Trent University, said: “As much as it is great that they are making use of the land now, I think it should be used for local residency instead.
“The city already has an exaggerated amount of student accommodation and a lot of people submit planning applications for the same.
“In the long run, it is the single working people who need housing the most.”
Mo Shirazi, 27, manager of Dr. Mobile Phone Repairs, added: “The new plan will be good for small businesses like ours in the area, and it will also make the area more busy.
“Dedicating the area to students is obviously a good decision since there are two universities in the city.”
But Ejaz Choudhary, 53, owner of Laundrette, Hyson Green, said: “It should be for locals instead. There are already enough student accommodation but I have seen families with children struggling to find accommodation.
“They are more deserving of housing than students who already have one too many options.
“So many students entering will also cause trouble in the area.”
Hilary Silvester, executive chair of the city’s civic society, added: “It seems to me to be a good thing on the whole to see a development of this nature in what has seemed like an area waiting for something to happen.
“It is pleasing to see that there is a mixture of uses, including family homes.
“The inclusion of a tall building in this setting will, we hope, be absorbed into the urban character of the area, while avoiding impact on the character of the city centre.”