Concerns expressed over uni build plan

Responses to a proposed university development are coming in thick and fast from residents and students – and both are unhappy. 

If the plan to build 552 bedrooms in five blocks in the Central Park area of Loughborough University campus goes ahead a student society, the landscape and gardening group is set to lose much of its growing space and Loughborough in Bloom community participation chair Mike Jones said this would be a disaster. 

He said the site contains a polytunnel, community shed and organic vegetable beds and last year was awarded level five (outstanding) by the RHS East Midland’s in Bloom It’s Your Neighbourhood initiative.  

“Many students meet there regularly to carry out work, meet socially and observe various festivals,” said Mr Jones. 

 “The site is at the extreme end of the proposed scheme and could be left alone with little or no detriment to the development as a whole. Indeed it could form an ideal buffer between the development and the existing residential development and beyond,” said Mr Jones. 

A group calling themselves the University Development Concerned Residents from adjacent residential streets likely to be most impacted by the buildings including Benscliffe, Holywell, Fairmount and Spinney Hill Drives is urging people to give their opinions through the consultation. 

They have raised concerns including noise, privacy, car parking and the height of the buildings. 

Anne Marie Goodyer of the group said: “The proposed buildings are very high (four and five stories high), planned to be at the highest point of the hill and very near to the university boundary”. 

“It will affect privacy with some of the blocks overlooking gardens,” she said. 

However, Christine Sweeney of Limehurst Avenue would prefer the blocks to be built on campus with her street a proposed site for another even higher student block.  

Christine said houses are being swallowed up in the streets by student accommodation.  

“I, for instance, am directly impacted as about 200 yards from my home, along my street, a nine-story student block is going up for more than 800 students.  I can only wait to see if I still get sun in my garden so I can continue growing food and sitting outside in the summer sun.  So, of course, I would prefer the block to be on campus,” she said.  

The students from the landscaping and gardening society created a flier questioning if the university needs less green space. It includes a QR code to a link for opinions on the consultation.