Legacy plans in for Liverpool student scheme

Legacy Student Living has submitted a planning application for the development of 192 serviced apartments on the site of a former Rapid DIY building in Renshaw Street.

The derelict building is at the junction of Renshaw Street and Newington Street within the Central Village scheme. The site is near to the Watson building and the former Lewis's department store.

The space was vacated in 2009 when Rapid moved to the George Henry Lee building. Building owner Grosvenor then took control of the Renshaw Street site, which comprised of several linked buildings.

The 79,000 sq ft redevelopment will see the construction of a 13-storey building, with the apartments located on the 12 upper floors. The scheme includes cycle parking, communal and amenity areas, a winter garden and a roof terrace.

According to planning documents submitted to the council, the apartments will be marketed mainly to post-graduate and international students.

The principle of a student accommodation scheme in this location had already been accepted by council officers, who met with Legacy at a pre-application meeting in October.

Walsingham Planning advised Legacy Student Living. Fletcher-Rae is the architect on the scheme.

A spokesperson for Legacy said: "Legacy identified Liverpool as a target market for their unique offering of highly sustainable, low carbon, low energy postgraduate accommodation aimed at mature and international students. Liverpool has a strong identity globally and is attracting mature students from across the world to its renowned Universities, making it an ideal location and add to our current schemes in Glasgow and York."

Jonathan Vose, principal consultant at Walsingham, said: "This application follows almost 12 months of pre-application engagement with Liverpool City Council and the resultant design scheme has been heavily influenced by these discussions. The site itself is highly sustainable and offers the potential to deliver high-specification serviced accommodation within Liverpool city centre, close to the city's main teaching and healthcare institutions, transport termini and service and entertainment hubs.

"In this regard, the proposals are directly in accordance with the objectives of national and local planning policy and meet a direct latent need for this type of accommodation in Liverpool."

Legacy Student Living aims to build 5,000 units over a five-year period, comprising of post-graduate studios and single bedroom suites.