PLANS IN FOR FALLOWFIELD STUDENT SCHEME

Plans to build a 13-storey student accommodation scheme in Fallowfield have been revealed, with the development set to comprise 425 bedrooms.

The application proposes the redevelopment of the former central office of USDAW – a non-profit organisation providing advice and representation to businesses in a number of different industries.

The group has outgrown the site, which is now “no longer considered a suitable location for its operations”.

USDAW is aiming to relocate to new premises in the spring of 2021, from which point the application site will be vacant.

Proposed by Watkin Jones – in an application brought forward by Turley – is a four-storey and 13-storey building comprising 38 clusters with a total of 365 bedrooms and 60 studios.

Also lined up is a games room, study areas, library and courtyard.

Elsewhere, the neighbouring Oakley Villa would be retained as a communal and social space.

A planning statement submitted by Turley said: “The evidence is clear and the city council acknowledges there is a need for more purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) in Manchester, as the lack of supply is having adverse consequences on the mainstream housing market and the affordability of Manchester as a place to study.

“The delivery of high-quality PBSA in Manchester offers the opportunity to ensure that the experience of students attending Manchester’s higher education institutions is improved and the accommodation on offer better reflects the world-renowned status of Manchester’s institutions.

“The scheme benefits from explicit University of Manchester support – the university recognises the special characteristics of the proposal. This support, and the reasons given by the university, is highly material to the determination of the application.”

The application is with Manchester City Council, with a decision expected later in the year.