A single storey factory building on Leicester’s inner ring road could be knocked down to make way for a 125-bed student accommodation block.
Planning documents show the scheme going up on the building in St Nicholas Circle, opposite the Holiday Inn hotel and over the road from the Jewry Wall Museum.
Documents from Staniforth Architects on behalf of City Group Leicester Ltd show there would be 108 studio flats, in an “attractive location” for students that is well supported by shops. The site is a few hundred yards from De Montfort University.
The plans were submitted to Leicester City Council last month and are currently out to consultation with the public. A decision will be made at a later date.
The planning documents state: “The universities and their students have a very positive impact on the local economy, boosting Leicester’s national and international profile.
“The construction and occupation of student accommodation also creates employment and supports local business and often delivers physical regeneration on disused sites and buildings.”
The student block could form one of three buildings constructed on the site, with separate four-storey, seven-storey and nine-storey buildings put forward to planning officials in the application.
The development will also include a ground floor retail unit as well as communal area and two, one-bedroom private rental apartments.
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Staniforth Architects see the proposal’s location as key to why it should be given the go ahead. As well as its regeneration benefits, they believe it will be ideally placed for students.
The firm states: “Close proximity to the shops and social centre of Braunstone Gate, Leicester city centre to the east and the proximity of the university campus to the south make this an attractive location for students.
“Most facilities that students would require from shops to entertainment and cultural venues are within easy walking distance.”