Concerns over students anti-social behaviour, vomit, noise and an excessive amount of accommodation in Durham city centre were not enough to convince councillors to vote against plans for more flats. 

A proposal to create new student accommodation housing 28 studio flats over three floors at William Robson House, Claypath, has been approved despite several objections. 

The applicant, Ward Group Investments, owns several student blocks in the city centre and will expand its portfolio with the new complex which includes communal areas, a plant room, and cycle and refuse storage. All units include a bed, wardrobe, desk, en-suite and small kitchen area and are ideal for lone student renters. 

The late 19th century building is within one of Claypath's historic yards, known as Moody’s Yard, and is part of the grade II listed Big Jug pub. 

But locals say the building should be designated to non-students and worry about increased noise nuisance and their fondness for late-night takeaways. There are three other student accommodation blocks housing around 1,000 students within 400 metres of the site. 

The Northern Echo: locals say the building should be designated to non-students and worry about increased noise nuisance and their fondness for late-night takeaways.locals say the building should be designated to non-students and worry about increased noise nuisance and their fondness for late-night takeaways. (Image: The Northern Echo)

Seven letters of objection were received in response, including objections from The City of Durham Trust which feared the area would become strewn with litter and waste bins. Durham University also said the plans would provide low-quality accommodation and a poor student experience. 

However, Ward Group believes the redevelopment of the vacant office space at William Robson House and the redundant car park will breathe new life into the dilapidated building. And although Durham County Council members on the East Area planning committee heard from multiple objectors at a meeting on Tuesday they still approved the proposal. 

Objectors at the meeting feared that residential accommodation would become a thing of the past as student properties in the city had increased by more than 1,000 to 4,337 in October 2022. 

Yet a large portion of Durham University’s 22,000 students relies on rented accommodation, with the huge demand for housing shown earlier this year by the overnight queues to secure places.

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Labour leader Carl Marshall told members that the current crop of student accommodation is unsatisfactory. 

He said: “The reality we’re seeing is students queueing around the blocks of estate agents in the city. I don’t think there’s any planning grounds that we can throw this out on. We keep saying the same things over and over again. 

“We cannot just keep rejecting student accommodation on the same grounds. I can understand why people don’t want more students in the city but I don’t think that’s a material planning consideration.”

Councillors voted to approve the proposal by eight votes to five.