Plans for new purpose-built student accommodation to help tackle a shortage of rooms in the city have been submitted to Manchester council.
If accepted, the scheme would see the Carmoor Road Garage and Ciara’s Tots building on Moss Lane East redeveloped into around 172 student bedrooms, in an adjournment to the existing Brook Hall student development, off Upper Trinity Street. The site includes a Grade II-listed building, which would be retained and converted.
Developer Host Students says it hopes the proposal would help to tackle an 'urgent need' for more student accommodation in the city, which saw students at the University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University offered money to live in alternative nearby cities in September.
Data from StuRents – the UK’s largest dedicated portal for student accommodation - says Manchester is currently short around 4,000 beds.
The accommodation would create two student apartment blocks, which they say will include communal areas, a fitness centre, outdoor landscaped space and 68 cycle storage spaces. Host Students say the planning submission follows an 'extensive consultation process' with the local community.
Plans no longer include land currently occupied by the West Indian Community Centre, which had initially been included. Planning and development consultants Turley, said the scheme will enable the 'sensitive refurbishment' of the listed building, 'securing its long-term future and productive use'.
Speaking about the planning submission, Host Student’s Managing Director, John Nesbitt, said: “We are pleased that our plans to provide students with much-needed accommodation are one step closer to being realised.
"The shortage of student accommodation in Manchester has caused disappointment to many new students starting their places at university in recent months. Our proposals are just a stone’s throw away from university campuses and would help to meet the growing need for dedicated student accommodation in Manchester.
“We have listened carefully to the local community and will not be including the West Indian Community Centre as part of the redevelopment. It is clear that the community centre is much-loved by those who use it and we will instead look to build a smaller scheme that enables the community centre to continue to operate.”
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