Student flats approved despite university warning

3 days ago

Paul MoseleyNorfolk political reporter

News image — Norwich's former Debenhams will be converted into 377 student rooms

Paul Moseley/BBC The exterior of the Debenhams building in Norwich on a sunny day. It is a multi-storey building, constructed in the 1950s. Shoppers are walking past it. — Norwich's former Debenhams will be converted into 377 student rooms

A plan to transform an empty Debenhams into a large block of student flats has been approved, despite a university warning there is no need for more accommodation.

The University of East Anglia (UEA) objected to the plans for Norwich city centre, arguing the student property market was close to over-saturation.

But developers said a conversion of the former department store into 377 rooms was "sustainable" and would rid the city of a "boarded-up eyesore".

Norwich city councillors have approved the plan which will see most of the building demolished, then rebuilt, with shops on the ground floor.

Lanpro A computer-aided-design image of the building on how it would look after being redeveloped. It's now 8 storeys tall, primarily brown with parts of the building cream/off-white — An artist's impression of how the building would look after being redeveloped

'Viabilty'

The former Debenhams had sat empty for two years when plans were put forward by Orford House Developments Limited (OHDL) in 2023

The company wanted to increase the building's height from six to ten storeys, with a total of 407 rooms – but following opposition from heritage groups those plans were scaled back.

However, the UEA also objected and said the market was facing "potential oversaturation", with a number of large private student blocks built in recent years.

At a meeting of the council's planning committee, the UEA's Stephen Wells said he understood 10% of purpose-built student accommodation was currently empty.

With the university offering its own halls, he warned such projects were "threatening the long-term viability of a campus model for the UEA" and said ODHL had offered them "no meaningful engagement".

Paul Moseley/BBC One of the former entrances of Debenhams, now boarded up - with graffiti on the boards. A traffic cone has been placed on the roof covering the entrance. — The developers said the building was currently "a blight" on the city centre

Matthew Horne from OHDL disputed that and said an offer of a meeting had not been taken up.

Describing the Debenhams site as "a boarded-up eyesore", he said the developers would only "only invest where demand exists".

He added that in a worst case scenario the city would gain "a state of the art building, high quality accommodation and reinstated retail space".

Horne also suggested the flats could lead to other housing being freed up "that would otherwise be used by students".

In a meeting lasting more than two hours, councillors held a long debate over the final decision.

Green councillor Ian Stutely said there was "no evidence" the flats would lead to other homes becoming available.

At one point, a majority of the committee members were set to reject the plans, but the proposal was eventually approved – with five votes for and three against.

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