MP backs plans to provide morestudent accommodation in city

PLANS to build more than 500 student flats in York were welcomed yesterday by an MP who voiced concerns over a shortage of budget accommodation in the city.

The Conservative MP for York Outer, Julian Sturdy, claimed that a lack of suitable accommodation could see the city being increasingly blighted by homes converted into hostel-type properties for students.

Mr Sturdy spoke out after York Council was accused of putting members of York University before residents by considering the developments in Lawrence Street and Hull Road.

But officials said that university accommodation is an important piece of the local housing jigsaw – a lack of student flats could open the door to more houses being turned into shared properties with multiple tenants.

There are also fears that if York’s undergraduate population is starved of designated student property, local people on low incomes will find fewer vacancies at the cheaper end of the rented market.

Mr Sturdy, who has been concerned about the impact of Houses of Multiple Occupancy (HMOs) on York, stressed that the two proposed development sites did not fall within his own constituency.

But he added: “The implications are if they don’t provide accommodation like this you get HMOs causing problems in and around York. It is really important the university gets more accommodation.

“I am meeting the university soon to discuss this issue. I am sure on-campus accommodation is always the preferred option for students and residents.

“But I would prefer these sort of proposals rather than a spate of HMOs.”

Planning consent is being recommended on Thursday next week for 11 blocks of flats, with 282 of the apartments earmarked on the site of a former dairy in Hull Road.

Accommodation for a further 238 students is planned on the former Reg Vardy garage premises in Lawrence Street.

There have been a number of objections to the scheme, including complaints by residents that the council should be putting affordable housing for local people ahead of catering for those coming on to the university’s books.