More student accommodation is set to be developed in Lincoln, despite objections from the University of Lincoln.
The City of Lincoln Council have approved plans to build flats for up to 600 students on the site of a former First World War aircraft factory.
The university explained that there ‘is a surplus of student accommodation in the city, currently of 2,670 beds which would rise to 3,542 in 2023,” meaning there is little need for the proposed plans. It went on to state that currently there is sufficient student accommodation to “support the predicted forecast rise of student numbers over the next decade.’
However, the Ashcourt Group, who are developing the project, said that the build would ‘meet the demand from the growing university.’
James Cameron, partner and head of commercial agency at Brown & Co’s Doddington Road office in Lincoln, who negotiated the sale, said: ‘The long-awaited grant of planning consent for Ashcourt’s scheme on our client’s site will bring a welcome new addition to the student market in Lincoln.’
Cameron explained that Ashcourt belieces the new scheme ‘will be well received with strong take-up,’ especially due to the ‘expanding nature of Lincoln University and particularly now the new Medical School is open.’
Documents reveal that the build will be developed in two phases. The first will see the development of 22 buildings which includes 67 residential units, an office building, and eight apartments. The second phase will include three more apartment blocks, and nine HMOs.
This means that the development will create around 586 bed spaces, as well as 143 parking spaces, and storage facilities for 84 bikes, The Lincolnite reports.
The site was previously home to the Ruston works; a factory where 2,750 aircrafts were built in the First World War before it began to produce cars. In 2015, the last industrial use of the site ended when William Sinclair Horticulture Ltd (a fertiliser firm) ceased operations.
