Coventry City Council Student Accommodation Study Final Issues Report September 2005 Entec UK Limited Report for Coventry City Council Niall McChesney Development Policy Coventry City Council Student City Development Directorate Planning and Transportation Accommodation Civic Centre 4 Much Park Street Study Coventry CV1 2PY Final Issues Report Main Contributors September 2005 Helena Spencer Andrew Golland Entec UK Limited Issued by ………………………………………………………… Helena Spencer Approved by ………………………………………………………… Michael O'Connell Entec UK Limited Gables House Kenilworth Road Leamington Spa Warwickshire CV32 6JX England Tel: +44 (0) 1926 439000 Fax: +44 (0) 1926 439010 h:\projects\ea-210\#14000 projects\14972 coventry students\reports\final coventy issues report (august 05).doc Certificate No. EMS 69090 Certificate No. FS 13881 In accordance with an environmentally responsible approach, this document is printed on recycled paper produced from 100% post-consumer waste, or on ECF (elemental chlorine free) paper i Contents 1. Introduction 1 1.1 Purpose of Report 1 1.2 Methodology 1 1.3 Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) 2 1.4 Higher and Further Education in Coventry 2 1.5 Key Issues 3 2. Student Numbers and Bed Spaces 5 2.1 Introduction 5 2.2 Past Trends 5 2.2.1 Student Housing: the Picture in 2001 5 2.2.2 Trends in Student Demand within the Coventry City Area 8 2.3 Current Situation 13 2.3.1 Coventry University 13 2.3.2 University of Warwick 15 2.3.3 Further Education Colleges 17 2.3.4 Walsgrave Hospital 18 2.3.5 Summary of Student Numbers and Bed Spaces 19 2.3.6 Overview of Geographical Distribution of Students in Coventry by Type of Accommodation 20 2.3.7 Existing Housing Stock 22 2.4 Planning for Student Numbers in the Future 25 2.4.1 Coventry University 25 2.4.2 University of Warwick 25 2.4.3 FE Colleges 26 2.4.4 Possible Future Student Accommodation Schemes 26 2.4.5 Summary of Future Student Numbers and Bed Spaces 27 2.4.6 What Do Students Want From Student Accommodation? 28 2.4.7 National Trends 29 2.5 Conclusions and Implications for the Local Housing Market 30 2.5.1 Current Situation and Potential Growth 30 2.5.2 Impact on the Private Rented Sector 31 3. Impacts on the Local Community 33 h:\website info\cdp ldf\final coventy issues report (sept 05).doc September 2005 ii 3.1 Benefits to the Local Community 33 3.2 Areas of Concern 34 3.2.1 Physical Impacts and Occupancy Issues 34 3.2.2 Social and Demographic Impacts 35 3.2.3 Possible Solutions Suggested by Local Residents 36 4. National Case Studies 37 4.1 Leeds City Council 37 4.2 Nottingham City Council 38 4.3 Charnwood Borough Council 39 4.4 Birmingham City Council 40 4.4.1 Implementation 40 4.5 Key Issues 41 4.5.1 Issues of Consultation and Presentation 41 4.5.2 Issues of Implementation and Legal Issues 41 5. Options and Recommendations for Supplementary Planning Document 43 5.1 Introduction 43 5.2 Area of Student Housing Restraint (ASHORE)/Criteria Based Constraint Policy 43 5.3 Suitable Locations for New Student Accommodation 44 5.4 Detailed Criteria for New Accommodation 45 5.5 Management and Legal Issues 45 5.5.1 Housing Act 2004 45 5.5.2 Conversions and the Housing Act 46 5.5.3 ODPM Consultation Draft Code of Practice for the Management of Student Housing (April 2005) 46 5.6 Stakeholder Involvement 46 5.7 Conclusions 47 Table 2.1 Coventry University Student Numbers 13 Table 2.2 Coventry University Bed Spaces 2005/2006 14 Table 2.3 University of Warwick Student Numbers 15 Table 2.4 University of Warwick Bed Spaces (2004/2005) 16 Table 2.5 City College Student Numbers 17 Table 2.6 Summary of Student Numbers and Bed Spaces (2004/2005) 19 Table 2.7 Proportion of Students in Output Areas 24 Table 2.8 Planned/Future Student Accommodation Schemes 26 Table 2.9 Summary of Potential Future Student Numbers and Bed Spaces 27 h:\website info\cdp ldf\final coventy issues report (sept 05).doc September 2005 iii Figure 2.1 Students by Age 6 Figure 2.2 Patterns of Student Accommodation 7 Figure 2.3 Student Housing by Tenure 8 Figure 2.4 All Students in Higher Education 9 Figure 2.5 Undergraduate and Postgraduate Numbers 10 Figure 2.6 Student Numbers in Full and Part Time Education 11 Figure 2.7 UK Based and Overseas Students 12 Figure 2.8 Growth in Student Numbers (% Change) 12 Figure 2.9 Student Accommodation in Coventry City District 21 Figure 2.10 % Students in Coventry City District Wards 21 Figure 2.11 Student Accommodation 22 Appendix A List of Interviewees/Telephone Discussions/Comments Received Appendix B Student Numbers by Census Output Area with Wards Overlaid Appendix C Maps of Coventry Output Areas with the Highest Student Concentrations h:\website info\cdp ldf\final coventy issues report (sept 05).doc September 2005 iv h:\website info\cdp ldf\final coventy issues report (sept 05).doc September 2005 1 1. Introduction 1.1 Purpose of Report The purpose of this report is to draw together the key findings of the Coventry Student Accommodation Study and to consider possible approaches to the future of student accommodation in the city. It provides the main input to what elements might best be included in preparing a draft Supplementary Planning Document. The study has been commissioned by Coventry City Council to address a number of issues relating to student accommodation in the city. It forms the basis for SPD which will assist the City Council in dealing with planning applications relating to student accommodation and for communities to have greater clarity on what to expect in relation to student accommodation. A key role of the study is to provide the Council with improved baseline information against which planning decisions on student housing schemes may be better informed. The SPD will set out planning approaches for dealing with applications for new student accommodation, although other approaches for instance relating to management issues/community initiatives will also be dealt with. However, it is important to state that this report does not define precisely the ‘need’ for student housing although we have made best efforts to gather together the main supply and demand data. The need to provide suitable accommodation for the student population is recognised by the City Council and this is set out in its Adopted UDP Policies. Student housing can provide a basis for better balanced communities and can act as a catalyst for regeneration. It is important to encourage mixed and balanced communities, as set out in Planning Policy Guidance Note (PPG) 3: Housing (DETR, 2000), paragraph 10. PPG3 states that it does not accept that different types of housing and tenures make bad neighbours, and that local authorities should ensure that new housing developments help to secure a better social mix by avoiding the creation of large areas of housing of similar characteristics. This report identifies approaches that the City Council could take towards ensuring that suitable student housing is provided whilst ensuring that communities remain balanced. 1.2 Methodology The study is based on a mix of quantitative and qualitative methods. It examines the location and proliferation of student housing at a number of different levels: local authority, ward, output area and the level of the two Universities themselves. To complete this analysis, we have used all key data sources including the Census 2001, the NOMIS data service and data sources from HESA (the Higher Education Statistics Agency). The latter provides trend data going back to 1996 thereby providing a context for understanding the changing picture of student housing demand. Information from interviews (both face to face and telephone interviews) with key stakeholders has been used to test these findings and to provide further information, both factual and anecdotal. The stakeholders include the Universities themselves, the Further Education Colleges, the Council (Planning and Housing departments), developers and agents involved in the supply of, and demand for, student units in the city of Coventry. Appendix A contains a list of people who have been contacted so far as part of this study. h:\website info\cdp ldf\final coventy issues report (sept 05).doc September 2005 2 1.3 Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) The purpose of SPD is to expand on policy and provide further detail to plan policies, but it does not have development plan status. Advice in Planning Policy Statement 12 (Local Development Frameworks) states that SPDs should not be used to allocate land and specifically states at paragraph 2.44 that: “ ….policies which should be included in a development plan document and subjected to proper independent scrutiny in accordance with the statutory procedures should not be set out in supplementary planning documents.” In this case, the SPD, once adopted will supplement policies in the Coventry Development Plan 2001 (1996 – 2011) or depending on the timing of production of SPD, it will supplement policies in the emerging Local Development Framework (LDF). If the SPD is adopted prior to preparation of the Local Development Document (LDD) then it will supplement Policy H1 of the Plan, as follows: Policy H1: People and their Housing Needs “All existing and future citizens should have access to a range of housing that is of satisfactory size and condition and within a high quality residential environment.” The SPD will support paragraph 4.15 of the Plan which identifies students as a group with particular housing needs. This is consistent with paragraph 13 of PPG3: Housing (DETR, 2000) which requires local planning authorities (LPAs) to assess the range of needs for different types and sizes of housing, including housing to meet the needs of specific groups, including students.