Student accommodation plans 'out of keeping'

Plans to build accommodation for hundreds of students on a university site are "completely out of keeping", residents living nearby have said.

University of Southampton's proposals for the Avenue Campus site in Highfield Road which are still at the pre-application stage, feature townhouse-style buildings providing beds for more than 400 students.

All three city councillors in the Portswood ward have concerns about the proposed development.

The university said it would provide "high-quality, sustainable and secure accommodation".

Kat Barbour, local Green Party councillor said the accommodation could potentially increase the ward's population by 10%

"For me I feel the balance of student and local population needs to be maintained as it currently is.

"There is a lot of local feeling that these proposals are not going to enhance the area at all because they already have a lot of students living in the area."

Resident Ed Hill said the university needed to rethink its plans by using the land for its intended academic function, maintaining the parkland setting and not overbuilding.

Hill said: "It's so sad that the university who say they are community minded want to completely destroy the balance and community of Highfield.

"This was a designated academic area and it's completely out of keeping with the area to build a vast four-storey 400-bed campus."

The University of Southampton said: "Our plans for Avenue Campus seek to maximise use of our own land to provide students with high-quality, sustainable and secure accommodation, enhancing their experience and helping to meet the future growth of the University.

"We listened carefully to local residents, students and staff during our initial consultation phase and have now reduced the proposed height and overall size of the accommodation."

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