Two high-rise blocks from the 1960s in Salford, Eddie Colman Court and John Lester Court, are set to be demolished to pave the way for new student flats.
Originally built during a period of large-scale regeneration work in Salford, they were later converted into student accommodation and are currently managed by Campus Living Villages (CLV), housing a total of 744 rooms across the 15-storey blocks. CLV's plans to demolish the existing buildings and redevelop the land have now been approved by Salford City Council's planning committee.
The redevelopment will result in two new blocks up to 28-storeys tall with a total of 1,500 rooms. A report shared by the company revealed that the current buildings no longer meet modern standards of student living and are 'not full every year because they provide only basic accommodation' without facilities such as en-suite bathrooms.
The design details will be presented to the council's planning committee for approval at a later date. The site, near the University of Salford's Frederick Road campus, will offer future students close access to the shops at Salford Precinct, as well as transport options on the A6 and at Salford Crescent train station. Major changes are also underway at Salford University's campus, including the creation of new active travel networks and plans for a new 'student village' around Peel Park, reports .
Joanne Hawley, commercial director at CLV, highlighted the inadequacies of the current student accommodation, pointing out the outdated room sizes and a pressing need to cater to the increasing number of students in Salford. She commented: "The new development will provide modern, cutting-edge accommodation, designed to meet customers' expectations, and is located directly across the road from the university's main campus."
She further stated that CLV would be "very happy" to retain the historical names of the buildings, paying tribute to local football legend Eddie Colman and former mayor John Lester.
To promote sustainable travel, car parking will be scaled back from 113 to just 59 spots. Her sentiments were echoed by Salford council’s planning panel councillors on November 7, who supported the redevelopment for its anticipated benefits.
Councillor Philip Cusack, chairing the planning committee, emphasized the acute demand for more student housing, saying: "This will reduce pressure in Salford for further HMOs, we have a desperate need for student accommodation, much of the HMO conversion is because of that demand, this will reduce some of that pressure."
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