Plan for 'prison-like' student flats turned down

Plans for a 102-bed student accommodation block in York have been rejected, with one councillor describing it as being like a "prison".

The proposed York Study Inn development on James Street would have included an on-site spa, gym and games room, but councillors criticised a lack of outside space, while also highlighting that some rooms would overlook a noisy bus depot.

Paul Harris, the applicant's agent, had urged councillors to seize the opportunity to approve the plans, saying it would result in a £15m investment and the creation of the equivalent of 15 full-time jobs.

But City of York Council's planning committee turned down the plans after officers recommended they be refused.

Study Inn had proposed building the block on the corner of James Street and Elvington Terrace, on a site currently home to the Car Care Centre and Jax Motorcycles.

Plans lodged last year originally proposed a complex with 110 rooms, which had since been changed to 102.

The block would have been made up of studio rooms and cluster apartments with six rooms and shared kitchen and living facilities.

According to the proposals, the complex would also have featured cycle storage and an outdoor garden area, but no parking was included in the plans.

Liberal Democrat planning committee member Councillor Tony Fisher told a meeting that while the design was much better than other student accommodation blocks, it was not sufficient for students paying between £200 and £400 a week.

"There's a chronic lack of external amenity space. It must be like living in a prison with a small exercise yard," Fisher said.

"The north-facing rooms look out on to the First Bus depot. While the buses are electric, there will still be activities there making noises late at night."

Responding on behalf of the developers, Harris told councillors the benefits of the development outweighed the perceived harm, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

He said: "We fail to understand how the view of the bus depot would be worse than noise from any other busy city centre route.

"These proposals represent a £15m investment in York and would regenerate a prominent site."

City of York Council planning officers had recommended the plans be refused, saying the building's footprint was too large, offered little meaningful outdoor space and would not provide high quality accommodation.

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