New plans for the demolition of a derelict Nottingham cinema auditorium site have been put forward. If approved, developers want to build 86 "high quality studio flats" for student accommodation in Queens Road, as they do away with the disused cinema.
The site is approximately 945sqm and sits opposite Nottingham Railway Station. A previous application, submitted in 2019, saw similar plans for two large accommodation blocks made up of 39 apartments and new shops.
The applicant of the project at the time said the idea was for residential flats with the target market unclear. But this development, which was granted planning approval in 2020 and led by a separate team, seemingly never progressed. The project was expected to be split into two elements with a six-storey building and a nine-storey block built at the derelict cinema site.
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Now, developers are sounding out plans for student accommodation with self-contained studios instead of the one and two-bed apartments. A fresh planning application has been submitted to the city council which clarifies no parking will be provided on the site.
Shoppers and residents had their say on the plans. Martin Garrison, 53, said: "It sounds like a great idea. The site is a bit of an eyesore.
"That whole area is a bit of an eyesore actually. There aren't many really nice buildings around the station, it's mainly offices and things like that.
"I'm not sure that this will improve that much but something should be done with it. People don't like change much but this is good.
"More accommodation is one thing that's done well in Nottingham. Again, not everyone likes it, especially when it's for students but people need to learn to live with it by now.
"It happens all the time and I think most people are just used to it. It's good, though, that that old site is being made use of."
Samantha Cunningham, 42, said: "Well obviously I'm happy that something is being done but we could do without student accommodation. I'd say that definitely shouldn't be a top priority.
"With a space like that you have an opportunity to build something else, something maybe a little more exciting or something that could benefit the wider community. I don't think there are a lot of people, if you asked them, that would want more student accommodation. We have enough of them already."
Plans for the accommodation were laid out in a brief as part of a design and access statement submitted to Nottingham City Council. Part of the brief read: "The ground floor of the building will offer management accommodation, amenity and social space for the building occupants.
"The upper floors will accommodate 86no high quality studios with en-suite facilities. Secure cycle parking is provided in line with the approved scheme."
The latest plans have been submitted to the city council on behalf of Tang Developments, with Marrons Planning acting as the planning agent. It comes just weeks after separate plans for a vast new block of student flats was approved further up Queens Road, on a corner spot off London Road opposite Hooters.
Another new block of flats has also been progressing on an old car park site, behind the railway station, in Queens Road.
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