Summary:
- The University of Southampton and Aspire Consortium have submitted plans to redevelop the vacant South Stoneham House and Connaught Halls site in Swaythling, proposing 292 new student studios and 816 bedspaces across multiple new buildings within the Itchen Valley Conservation Area.
- The application, recommended for approval by planning officers, faces opposition from local residents, councillors, and the council’s historic environment officer due to concerns over overdevelopment, heritage harm, loss of Connaught Hall buildings, and failure to meet on-site biodiversity net gain requirements.
- Southampton City Council’s planning panel will decide on July 21 whether to approve the scheme, which aims to balance expanding student accommodation with restoring South Stoneham House, while critics urge a reduced scale to protect the conservation area and local community.
Original article:
https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/26279543.plan-student-accommodation-south-stoneham-set-approved/
