Housing for more than 700 students will be built to replace 'dated and inefficient' halls of residence at Staffordshire University.

The proposals for the new student village at Staffs University's Leek Road campus are set to be approved by Stoke-on-Trent City Council.

Under the plans, 734 existing flats on the campus will be demolished, with 715 new student residences being built on 'amenity grassland' off Lordship Lane on the south side of the River Trent, next to Clarice Cliff Court. There will also be a village hub building, providing 'educational, social and support space' for students, with a new park to be created on the site of the demolished flats.

A boardwalk and footbridge over the Trent will be built to link the new village with the rest of the campus. Concerns over potential flooding were previously raised by the Environment Agency, specifically in relation to the bridge and boardwalk.

But the agency withdrew its objection after receiving further information from the applicant, concluding that while the plans would increase flood risk, 'the overall impact is small'.Planning officers at the city council have recommended the scheme for approval, saying that it will effectively remove student housing from an area of high flood risk and replace it with accommodation on land at least risk of flooding.

734 existing flats on the Leek Road campus will be demolished and replaced with 715 new ones (Nub News).

Members of the planning committee will make a decision when they meet next Wednesday.

The report to the committee states: "The scheme would see existing dated and inefficient housing which is nearing the end of its economical life removed from an area of highest flood risk, and replaced with well designed, modern, energy efficient accommodation on land least at risk of flooding.

"The scheme has been designed to assimilate it into the wider context whilst also presenting as a modern, visually attractive, and high quality

development. The scheme also results in an overall increase in publicly accessible amenity green space that will in turn deliver an increase in biodiversity and habitats when compared to existing conditions."

The city council only received one objection to the plans, from Potteries Heritage Society, which claimed that the scheme was 'inappropriate'.

The Potteries Heritage Society said: "Whilst the society has some enthusiasm for this ambitious redevelopment of the university campus, and welcomes the high quality of the design and layout of the buildings and new landscaping, we strongly feel that the overarching principle of the development – which proposes to build on existing greenspace on the east side of the river and demolish buildings on the west side for new parkland – is inappropriate."

The new student accommodation would consist of four 'cluster blocks' and townhouses. In addition to the new village, there are also plans to refurbish the existing accommodation at Clarice Cliff Court. Overall there would be a reduction of 18 student residences.

A new surface car park with 224 spaces will be created on the former Squires View site, accessible via Leek Road, replacing existing spaces next to the old halls of residence. The new student village would be mostly 'car free', except for 24 accessible and EV spaces.

The planning committee will meet at 10am on Wednesday, March 20.

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