Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Aiden Gray, the Labour Group spokesperson.

There were no declarations of interest.

Purpose

To approve the Student Halls of Residence Draft Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) for consultation with stakeholders.

Recommendations

The Cabinet Member is recommended to:

1.    Approve the Student Halls of Residence Draft Supplementary Planning Document for consultation;

2.    Authorise the City Development Manager to make editorial amendments to the draft SPD prior to consultation, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Planning, Regeneration and Economic Development. These changes will not alter the meaning of the document and will be restricted to grammatical and typographical errors.

(TAKE IN REPORT BY THE CITY DEVELOPMENT MANAGER)

The City Development Manager introduced the report and explained that the university student population has grown since 2000 which has created an increase in demand for accommodation in the form of halls of residence or HMOs or shared housing. Halls of residence are no longer solely provided by the university. It is therefore considered appropriate for the council to produce an SPD on student halls of residence so as to provide a definition of student halls of residence to distinguish them from HMOs, preferred locations and management and design standards to ensure a good standard of accommodation is provided.

DECISION: the Cabinet Member, Councillor Terry Hall approved the Student Halls of Residence Draft Supplementary Planning Document for consultation subject to the following minor amendments;

a)    To seek clarification from the University of Portsmouth as to the 'need' for different types of accommodation, ie single sex accommodation, faith, disabled accommodation.

b)    Amend paragraph 4.1, the last sentence, so as to read 'The preferred location would be the city centre or locations within 'short' walking/cycling distance'.

c)    To include reference to 'the accommodation being used for short term let during the summer and Christmas holiday periods'.

The Cabinet Member also authorised the City Development Manager to make editorial amendments to the draft SPD prior to consultation, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Planning, Regeneration and Economic Development. These changes will not alter the meaning of the document and will be restricted to grammatical and typographical errors.