Durham County Council Says No to Convert Office Into Student Housing

Durham County Council has rejected a proposal to convert a floor of a Durham office into student accommodation across Claypath Hill. The objection is based on concerns that more student housing may lead to community imbalance.

Janet George, a spokesperson for the St Nicholas Community Forum, a group of residents in Durham City, voiced opposition to the proposal, expressing concerns about the already high number of students in the area and potential issues such as noise disturbances, The Northern Echo reports.

According to the source, George said that the student lifestyle in the area was “at odds with the norms of family life, such as school, work, and sleep.”

At the same time, the proposal faced objections from the City of Durham Trust and the City of Durham Parish Council, which said new housing could affect community balance and quality of life.

Durham County Council’s current policy states that any proposals to provide new Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (PBSA), including extensions or transformations, should, among other things, demonstrate a clear need for additional student housing.

“There is a need for additional student accommodation. Developers should demonstrate what specific need the proposal is aimed at and why this need is currently unmet,” the regulation reads.

Additionally, the proposal should also demonstrate the following:

• that it would not negatively impact retail, employment, leisure, tourism, or housing use or support the Council’s regeneration objectives.
• that there will be collaboration with the relevant education providers.

Earlier this year, the BBC reported that Durham County Council gave the green light to a proposal to build three housing blocks in Clay Lane, Durham. However, due to some concerns that the plan might violate policies outlined by Durham Labour MP Mary Kelly Foy, it had to be withdrawn.

The proposal included demolishing some buildings at Rowanwood on Clay Lane and building ten mixed-use homes across three blocks. It faced significant backlash from local residents, including Foy, who sent a letter to the local authority asking for rejection of these plans. The City of Durham Parish Council also opposed these plans, describing them as ambiguous.

According to myFutureNC, a nonprofit organization focusing on educational achievements, there are 29,215 residents without degrees in Durham County. On the other hand, there are 75,574 residents (72.1 percent) with at least one degree or educational qualification.