A towering building will be built in a Nottinghamshire town after a local council's decision was overruled. An eight-storey student complex can now be built at the car park on Station Road, Beeston, despite the plans being rejected by Broxtowe Borough Council's planning committee on July 27, 2022.
This decision has recently been overturned by the Planning Inspectorate, meaning the 419-bedroom block will become the tallest structure in the town. The project had been recommended for approval by planning officers before being denied permission by committee members, who had concerns over its size, the quality of life for the students inside, and how it would impact parking in the area.
The council's officers, however, said the plan would free up many of Beeston’s houses and provide sufficient amenity to potential residents despite its high density. Officers had also warned there was a risk of a refusal being overturned and costs being awarded against the council, should the plans be rejected on the grounds of design or scale, parking or purpose built student accommodation.
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Now, following the Planning Inspectorate's ruling in favour of developer Cassidy Group, work can now start on the project - despite councillor and local objections. The property company argued the building would regenerate the currently derelict site and boost Beeston’s economy through its retail and commercial units.
Liam Brennan, of Cassidy Group, said: “We want to reassure the Beeston community that we are committed to creating a building which will benefit the local area a great deal – using sustainable materials and being sensitive to the town centre in terms of what is already there.
“As we have said before, our scheme will offer something fantastic for local students who are currently living in houses in multiple occupation (HMO) in Beeston and this can create problems for people trying to buy in the town.
The student scheme will rely heavily on Beeston’s extensive public transport network in order to avoid impacts on parking in the area, according to the site's developer. Mr Brennan added: "Beeston has fantastic infrastructure, and the new development is designed to enhance that. We’re excited to see this site, which has sat derelict for so long, finally be the home of something exciting for Beeston.”
In 2020, the green light was given for the 'tallest building in Beeston' to be constructed at the site, which was also eight-storeys tall but was never started. The plans consisted of 132 residential apartments, 50 car parking spaces, two roof gardens and a ground-floor commercial unit which could be used for anything from a concert venue to offices to bars.
