Liverpool to consider student resi review

An independent review commissioned by Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson into the student accommodation market has concluded that “there is no need for a moratorium on new schemes” in the city.

The report will be considered by the council’s cabinet on 2 October, and has looked at the demand, supply and impact of student accommodation due to a growth in planning applications and approvals in recent months.

The review has concluded that the pipeline of new schemes does not need to be limited as “the growth is part of the natural development cycle and will eventually diminish”. In addition, student numbers are likely to remain stable and some older accommodation is coming to the end of its life and will provide opportunities for redevelopment in terms of housing or commercial space.

Recent planning approvals include two student accommodation schemes in the Baltic Triangle and Queensland Place by Elliot Group totalling 500-bedrooms. Downing is currently working on 1,600-beds of student accommodation across Devon Street, Gildart Street and Norton Street, while Legacy Student Living is developing 192-serviced apartments on the site of the former Rapid DIY building in Renshaw Street.

The report makes a series of recommendations to give the council a framework to influence future developments. They include:

• Introducing ‘zones of opportunity’ in the city centre to direct where future developments are located
• Using planning powers to make sure proposals for student accommodation have viable alternative uses in the event that demand falls
• Setting up a range of measures to encourage good quality management of student accommodation, such as requiring a management plan with standards for refuse/waste and behaviour with any planning application

The report also recommends that the council has a clear strategy to manage the impact of the changing ‘houses of multiple occupation’ market, for example in areas where fewer students now choose to live. This could include using planning powers to exercise greater control over the location and intensification of HMOs and using landlord licensing regulations to make sure they are good quality.

Cllr Frank Hont, cabinet member for housing, who chaired the review, said: “Students make a £1bn contribution to the city’s economy and in many cases they go on to make Liverpool their permanent home and bring up their families here. This is about balancing their needs with other members of the community.

“Although there has been an increase in applications for purpose built accommodation, all of the evidence we have is that there is still sufficient demand.

“What we are proposing is a series of practical and sensible recommendations that future proof student developments and ensure areas do not become too saturated with a type of accommodation that could become unsustainable and destabilise an entire community.”

The review group was made up of councillors and independent experts with experience and knowledge of the student, university and developer communities.

The full Student Accommodation Review report can be read here