Liverpool PBSA to be trimmed to skirt BSA delays
Plans for Molyneux Developments’ student accommodation building, located within Liverpool’s Fabric District, have been given a haircut so that the scheme is no longer considered a high-risk building.
Liverpool City Council approved the scheme in principle last year but a Section 106 has not been signed.
Those plans are considered high risk under the Building Safety Act due to their height, meaning that the development would have to pass through Gateway Two of the BSA to receive full consent.
The Building Safety Regulator has come in for criticism for the amount of Gateway Two applications it has approved and the speed at which it works. For this reason, many developers are reworking schemes so that they no longer have to pass through the lengthy process.
Molyneux has applied to tweak its Revival Architecture-designed scheme, reducing it from seven to six storeys and decreasing the number of bed spaces by 28.
The block would comprise 25 studios and 50 cluster bedrooms. On the ground floor, a hot food unit would span 1,460 sq ft.
Fresh proposals resubmitted by Baltic PDC include the addition of a green roof terrace and the removal of a basement level.
A gym, a cinema, a workspace, and a reception area would also be available for resident students.
Of the available studios, 15 are to be marketed as premium. The remaining 10 would be let as standard alongside the cluster bedrooms.
No car parking provision has been proposed, but a secure space for 38 bicycles is planned.
To view the revised application, use the planning reference number 23F/3075 on Liverpool City Council’s planning portal.
Does the Fabric District really need more student flats? Hasn’t the bottom dropped out of the overseas market hence the planning permission for change of use to YMCA for one of the student apartment blocks that is unoccupied. LCC really needs to think about what it wants for the Fabric District and London Road area – there are other sections of society that need to be accommodated – School of Tropical Medicine, Knowledge Quarter, Royal Hospital, Paddington Village – who may want city centre living – as appears the student market is saturated around there. In other countries whole families live in the city – why is city centre living outside of London just students and young professionals who move on when get jobs?
By Lizzy Baggot
Wouldn’t surprise me if this is just to get planning permission and then the site is sold on, we have many landowners in Liverpool following this pattern.
By Anonymous
@ Lizzy 1.03pm, there is land there for non-student developments just need the developers to come forward.
We do have other schemes in the city that aren’t student focused eg Lighthaus, Central Docks, Heaps Rice Mill, Gateway, and so on.
At the end of the day students are part of society and deserve somewhere to live, and maybe choose to stay here long term.
By Anonymous
The Fabric District is ripe for more BTR housing. Would be good to get more mixed tenure in that part of town.
By Anonymous