Over the last few years, Beeston and District Civic Society has been concerned that:
- more affordable housing is needed for local families;
- student accommodation is being developed locally even though there is little evidence of need, and much of this accommodation cannot be repurposed (‘flipped’) to provide mixed/residential use, and family homes, if student demand fails to appear, and
- there is growing evidence* of falling demand for student accommodation nationally and locally.
We have made this case for repurposing in appropriate planning consultations over the last few years — and even directly challenging individual developments where student need was overstated or out of date. However, even though Broxtowe Borough Council shares our concerns, and some local councillors have agreed with us, appeals to central government by the developers have been successful. More, potentially unviable accommodation has been, and is being, built.
Recently we have seen in the news, “the City Council’s latest survey of student accommodation shows increasing vacancies in purpose-built student blocks. The vacancy rate in Nottingham rose to 11.2% for the 2024 academic year — the highest in over a decade — due to fewer international students and more students living at home. The number of students needing accommodation for the last academic year was just 45,293 as against a projection of 56,582. Vacancy rates are expected to climb further next year, prompting the council to advise designing Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) schemes with flexibility for alternative uses. …the council says that this reflects a cooling in demand, and it is something they are watching closely”.
Our charity’s area of interest is Beeston and the surrounds, it includes areas close to the City and University sites. So this sensible approach to student housing by Nottingham City Council could result in developers concentrating their efforts into proposals for Beeston and its surrounds without designing repurposing into the development. There is recent evidence of this in that a student housing developer has not progressed a major site in Nottingham but is moving on quickly with one in Beeston which is highly unlikely to be able to be repurposed for families.
Nottingham City has a much larger student accommodation issue than Beeston but, in the past, we have made the case that well thought out standards for student housing schemes in Nottingham City, which aims to make more housing available to local families should be introduced in Beeston. Designing-in repurposing potential on new developments should be introduced in Beeston and the surrounding area or they will become the centre of focus for the developers and not help increase the amount of affordable housing availabe if student demand is not met.
The horse has already bolted on many of Beeston’s student accommodation schemes but we would urge Broxtowe Borough Council to introduce, as a matter of urgency, similar policies to those in the City to ensure buildings being built for students in Beeston and the surrounding area can, if perceived demand is not met, become family homes and local people can find affordable rented accommodation.
Beeston and District Civic Society
Beeston Civic Society 