Anthony Gill, acting jointly for Jansons Property and Morbaine, secured planning permission for a 376 bed purpose built student accommodation (PBSA) block at Hoole Way, Chester. Anthony also successfully secured a full costs award against the Local Planning Authority (Cheshire West and Chester)
The appeal was made against two reasons for refusal on design and residential amenity. As so often with student development there was also vociferous resistance to the proposal on the basis of ‘studentification’ of the local neighbourhood.
This is the second time Anthony has secure planning permission for a large student housing development in Chester. He has advised on the project since the application stage and was able to assist with both his local experience and his specialist knowledge of the student housing sector and the wider academic study of ‘studentification’.
The appeal was made in the context of an extant detailed permission for a large footprint office development on the site of similar height and scale. Whilst the Appellant strongly submitted that the office project was not likely to come forward and was not therefore a ‘fall back’ the Inspector still accepted that the permitted office design was an important material consideration demonstrating the acceptable parameters for a future building on the site.
The appeal decision is noteworthy in accepting the Appellant’s submissions on the applicability of a Student Management Plan (SMP) including a car use limitation, and in accepting the Appellant’s submissions on the relevance of the extant office permission
A copy of the decision can be found here and the costs decision can be found here.
