Former town care home to be turned into student flats
A FORMER care home is to be turned into student accommodation after a council gave the plan the go-ahead.
May Mills House, in Loughborough, will be home to 19 students after applicant Miranda Lam was given permission by Charnwood Borough Council to change the use of the building.
The Forest Road care home once housed up to 17 elderly residents.
Approving the application, a planning officer said in a report: “Although the loss of the care home is regrettable, market forces show less demand for this type of housing in Loughborough.
“The provision of student halls of residence in close proximity to the colleges is supported in principle.”
The report added that Loughborough had the lowest proportion of older people in the borough, and that there was “less demand” for care home facilities “as indicated by the closure of May Mills House”.
Documents submitted by agent The Planning Station stated the student accommodation would be managed by an on-site warden.
It added: “The property’s location is entirely suitable for managed student halls of residence.”
A student halls of residence, run by Student Beehive, is next door to the former care home.
The application was approved subject to a number of conditions, including that a student management plan must be approved by the council before the property can be occupied.
The plan must include provision for a 24-hour warden, arrangements for recording complaints about noise and anti-social behaviour, and detailed procedures for how arrivals and departures at the beginning and end of each academic year will be handled.
No exterior changes will be made to the building, according to the planning documents, other than one door on the ground floor being replaced by a window.