Selly Oak is at risk of becoming an extension of the University of Birmingham campus if any more student halls are given the green light residents have claimed.
Despite new planning rule to limit the conversion of family homes into student shared houses, the growth of student accommodation in the area has carried on relentlessly and further action is needed.
The Community Partnership for Selly Oak is calling for a city wide review of student housing as they fear that almost all development is being concentrated in their already saturated suburb. They also want a moratorium on major development while the review takes place.
Their call came as plans for a five storey apartment block for up to 70 students on Bristol Road became the latest large student block to be given the green light by councillors.
Partnership spokesman Dr Andrew Schofield said that the current policy seems to be to place all new accommodation for students at Birmingham’s five universities in Selly Oak.
“There is no comprehensive plan for student accommodation in the city. A plan would take into account both student numbers and preferences.
”One ward should not be require to accommodate all the students in the city. We just can’t do it.”
He pointed out that there are lots of vacant student houses and flats advertised in the area and no more are required and added that their own surveys with the Guild of Students has found that second and third year graduate students prefer shared houses to studio flats.
But the planning committee was told that the proposal to demolish a row of Victorian shops on Bristol Road and build a five storey block met with policy guidelines and should be approved. They duly voted by ten to two in favour.
The decision left the community members fuming.
Cllr Karen McCarthy (Lab, Selly Oak) said she would be pressing her cabinet colleagues responsible for housing and development for a full review.
She said: “We have repeatedly asked for a policy on student accommodation in the city. If the council won’t or can’t produce one, we as a community will have to produce our own.”
Selly Oak MP Steve McCabe is currently bidding to secure new laws to tighten up the planning regulations and enforcement after being inundated with complaints about the way houses in the area are extended and converted into student flats.
