Riverside residents say allowing a block of student flats to be used by summer holidaymakers could make local parking issues worse.
Owners are seeking permission from Stirling Council planners to offer the accommodation at Riverside Quay as short-term holiday lets from June 1 until August 31 every year.
The company -UK PBSA (Forthside Way Stirling) Ltd - want the council to agree to vary a condition of the original planning permission for the 209-bed building which restricts the development for student use only.
But Riverside Community Council have been quick to raise an objection to the proposal.
Chair Joan Murphy said: “There is not the available private parking on site to accommodate a change of use to short term holiday lets which should be one parking space per bedroom. Why should this be any different from the requirements of nearby Premier Inn or Travelodge who are serving the same customer base.
“This area is not within a Controlled Parking Zone and should provide one parking space per bedroom and one parking space per 20 staff. If this accommodation is serving a different customer base then the current parking conditions need to change to suit the change of use, so that the new customer profile parking needs are met in terms of planning requirements.
“This has a direct effect on the residents of Riverside. It will affect traffic, parking, access in the site and surrounding area.
“A number of cars already park each evening in the access road immediately next to the gates to Riverside Quay.
“Also food deliveries in the evening are frequent, parking on the double yellow lines and pavement outside Riverside Quay as there is no parking available for deliveries on site. Since the flats opened there has been an ongoing issue with car parking on the double yellow lines on Shore Road. All of this may well be a result of displacement parking.”
The 209-bed building, which opened last September, includes studios, one-bedroom apartments and two and three bed en-suite flats.
There are also communal facilities including a cinema, gym, games room and laundry as well as several private and group study rooms.
In a submission to planners, agents for the applicants, Scott Hobbs Planning, said there would be wider economic benefits if tourists were able to use the flats during summer, adding: “It is normal for student operators to enter into tenancy agreements with students which exclude the majority of the summer months, resulting in the building being vacant between June and August. The operator wishes to meet the demand for short-term holiday accommodation by letting out the vacant units during the summer months.
“The units are entirely suitable for this use and the proposal endeavours to avoid high demand accommodation lying vacant over this time.
“The entrance is well away from the nearest entrance to any residential property. As the site contains a limited number of car parking spaces, the use of the accommodation for short term lets during the summer will not cause an increase of vehicular traffic.”
Stirling Council turned down the original application for the flats development following 13 objections, one from Riverside Community Council, but the scheme was approved by the Scottish Government on appeal.
Council planners are expected to make a recommendation on the variation application in due course.
