A bid to gain permission to change the use of former student accommodation at the previous Canterbury Christ Church University campus in Broadstairs has been rejected.
The application from Jamie Copland of RW (Margate) Ltd put forward proposals for a House of Multiple Occupation (HMO) with 84 rooms.
Mr Copland, who already owns other HMO buildings in Thanet, proposed the 84 Bed HMO which would have been split into ‘units’ across the floor levels with a shared kitchen for each unit.
Application documents said: “The proposal offers much needed housing accommodation in an area that has seen significant increase in demand for HMOs. The site is also very well positioned with good transport links and with in walking distance of shops and areas of employment.”
Objections
The application prompted 138 letters of objection on grounds ranging from the property being too close to schools, care homes and residential estates to be a HMO of this size; lack of information as to who would occupy the proposed HMO; inadequate local services such as doctors to no provision of living areas for occupants – just kitchens and bedrooms, road congestion and a lack of public consultation.
Broadstairs Town Council unanimously recommended refusal, saying: “ This application is not suitable for purpose and does not facilitate full time living as there are no communal areas. We would recommend a reduction in the number of bedrooms to create living areas.”
Broadstairs Society did not object but said proof was needed for an economic argument, stating: “The principle of a change of use from student accommodation to an HMO is all very well but it presupposes that people will want to rent the accommodation as they have jobs in and around Broadstairs. If the applicant can prove there are sufficient jobs there may be an economic argument.”
Concerns
Thanet council planning objected on the grounds of the site being designated for employment use, saying: “Our concern is the use of employment land for alternative uses when the amount and choice of deliverable employment land over the plan period is low.
“It is acknowledged that a previous application was granted on this site- Change of use from former student accommodation to proposed workers accommodation in association with Thanet Earth. That application, while strictly contrary to policy, was considered favourably for very specific reasons.
“It proposed to provide workers’ accommodation for Thanet Earth, a significant employer and business in Thanet, which had been struggling to identify suitable accommodation for its workforce.
“This application does not have these exceptional circumstances.”
Planning officers also raised concerns that HMO rooms would be spread over 17 separate flats with no, or limited integration between them, and would lead to a significant concentration of HMOs in one location and over the impact of the proposed development on the residential amenities of surrounding occupiers. Officers acknowledged that the living conditions at the HMO would be acceptable and rooms would be a good size.
Site history
The building has been empty since the university left Thanet in 2018.
Nelson College London proceeded with an offer in September 2021 for all the buildings and the purchase completed in May 2022.
In November 2022 Nelson College agreed to let the Northwood Court premises to Clearsprings Ready Homes who provide accommodation for asylum seekers under contract to the Home Office. Some occupants were moved into the premises but it was noted that certain conditions of the lease had not been met. The occupants were removed, and the lease was revoked.
Planning permission was granted on 19th October 2023 for the change of use from student accommodation to proposed workers accommodation in association with Thanet Earth but this proposal did not progress any further.
At the end of last year a proposal to use the former student accommodation to accommodate up to 86 unaccompanied asylum-seeking children was lodged with Thanet council.
The application was made by Ready Homes with the site identified by Kent County Council (KCC) and Ready Homes as a suitable location for the Reception Centre. This application was withdrawn in August and planning officers have highlighted that “there is no link” between this (HMO) application and the application recently withdrawn for asylum seeking accommodation for children.
Refusal
The planning officer concluded: “It is recognised that there are benefits from the provision of additional housing within the district from the proposed development and that this brings some economic and social benefits.
“It is, however, noted that the proposed development would result in the loss of land allocated for employment purposes making a valuable contribution to the employment land supply for the district.
“When considered with the issues of concentration of 84/86 HMO rooms, in one location, the potential impact on existing residents in terms of potential increase in noise and disturbance from the use of the site as a HMO accommodation rather than student accommodation linked to the adjacent campus and the insufficient information about the highway impact of the proposed development, it is not considered that the benefits of the proposed development outweigh the loss of the allocated employment site.”
