Policy HO8
Student accommodation
The council recognises the London-wide need for student accommodation, and to assist in meeting this need it will support applications for student accommodation as part of mixed-use development schemes or as part of intensification of sites within Opportunity Areas, regeneration areas, or town centres where the site is in an area of PTAL 4 or above or is in a location within walking distance (i.e. 400m) from a university or higher education campus.
Applications for student accommodation outside of these areas and applications for schemes comprising solely student accommodation will be assessed on a site-by-site basis; however, the council will resist proposals which are likely to have adverse local impacts.
- An application for student accommodation will need to show that:
a) the site is in an area with access to local shops and services and the proposal would not generate additional demands for on-street parking.
b) there would be no loss of existing housing and will not compromise delivery against the Borough's strategic housing target.
c) the development contributes to a mixed and inclusive neighbourhood and does not have a detrimental impact on the local area and should include a management and maintenance plan for the accommodation to demonstrate an acceptable level of amenity and access to facilities for its occupiers, how the amenity of neighbouring properties will be protected and what steps would be taken to minimise the impact of the accommodation on neighbouring uses.
d) the accommodation is secured for use by students, as demonstrated by an agreement with one or more specific higher education provider(s) in line with the London Plan.
e) the maximum level of accommodation is secured as affordable student accommodation, in line with the London Plan.
f) the accommodation is of high quality, including size of units, functional living spaces and layouts, daylight and sunlight standards and well-integrated internal and external communal areas.
g) the accommodation provides at least 10% of student rooms which are readily adaptable for occupation by wheelchair users.
h) it demonstrates that where alternative uses are proposed outside of term time, there are adequate management arrangements in place through the provision of a non-student management plan.
i) it provides adequate on-site cycle parking facilities, refuse and servicing facilities
j) it provides an active frontage in town centre locations and where leisure facilities within purpose-built student accommodation are provided, these should be made available for public use where there is an identified shortfall in provision.
- Development proposals that result in the loss of student accommodation will be resisted unless:
a) the alternative proposed use meets an acute identified housing need; and
b) it can be demonstrated that the facility no longer meets current or future needs; or
c) adequate replacement student accommodation is provided that satisfies the requirement of Local Plan Policy HO8 Part 1.
4.62 The borough is home to a number of university and higher education institutions, principally Imperial College, which has teaching facilities at the White City Campus, Hammersmith Hospital and Charing Cross Hospital. The borough is also home to smaller institutions such as the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and BIMM Music Institute. A number of these higher educational institutions have expressed a need to increase their capacity, as have many other higher educational institutions across London, buoyed by London's international status and reputation as a global centre for higher education. This has put pressure on conventional housing to accommodate students and there is a need to increase the capacity of student accommodation in London in order to ensure that there is a suitable choice of available purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA).
4.63 The London Plan sets out an overall target for London of 3,500 PBSA units per annum across all boroughs over the period 2017 to 2041. The borough's Student Accommodation Demand and Supply Study considers past trend changes in the size of the student population in the borough and projects these forward to set out how the size of student population might change over time, presenting a number of demand scenarios. Through interviews with Higher Education Institutions with a presence in Hammersmith and Fulham it was found that a higher level of take up on PBSA would be reasonable, should supply come forward to support it. The study therefore projects a demand for PBSA in Hammersmith and Fulham over the new Local Plan period.
Location of student accommodation
4.64 The council seeks to direct proposals for new student accommodation to its Opportunity Areas, regeneration areas and town centres. Additionally, the council will expect that new PBSA is located in well-connected areas (PTAL 4 and above), or in a location within walking distance to a Higher Education Institution. It considers that student housing in these areas will be best provided within major new developments as part of mixed-use schemes. Outside of these areas, applications for student accommodation will be assessed on a site-by-site basis. It is acknowledged that students can create benefits for an area, for example by adding vibrancy and vitality to the local economy. However, concentrations of students can also have a negative impact. In particular, the council is concerned about the direct impact of noise and comings and goings on neighbouring properties, and the indirect impact of the growth in facilities such as bars and takeaways that can themselves cause a nuisance, especially late at night. The council will consider all applications on their own merits, but the primary consideration will be the amenity of the borough's existing residents and the strategy to direct student accommodation schemes to the areas outlined above.
4.65 PBSA is defined as non-conventional housing, which for purposes of delivery against the Borough's strategic housing target, is counted on a 2.5:1 basis (i.e. two and a half bedrooms/units is equivalent to one unit of housing), as set out in the London Plan. Compared with conventional housing, where units are counted on a 1:1 basis, student accommodation may not always provide the most optimal use of land or contribute to addressing the Borough's most pressing housing needs. Given the borough's need for conventional housing, the council will resist proposals for student housing which involves the net loss of self-contained homes, or the development of a site allocated for self-contained homes. The council will also resist proposals involving the development of a site that has an existing consent for self-contained housing where the consented scheme would better meet the borough's housing needs and there is a reasonable prospect of the consent being implemented.
4.66 All applications will need to demonstrate satisfactorily that the proposals will have a positive impact on the overall strategies for the borough's Opportunity Areas and regeneration areas and will not adversely impact on residential neighbours or town and local centres. Applications will need to be accompanied by a management plan, setting out how the impact upon neighbours and the amenity of the borough's existing residents will be managed. The management plan should set out how any impact upon its neighbours and the amenity of the borough's existing residents would be minimised, including any impact from move-in and move-out dates at the beginning and end of terms and the impact of possible alternative use during the vacations.
Nomination agreements
4.67 To ensure that accommodation specifically designed for the occupation by students is not subsequently used for general residential use, or some other form of hostel accommodation, the majority of the bedrooms in a student accommodation development including all of the affordable student accommodation bedrooms must be developed and secured through a nomination agreement for occupation by students of one or more specific higher education institutions. The London Plan makes clear that if the accommodation is not secured for use by students and for occupation by members of one or more specified higher educational institutions, the development is not considered PBSA and will be considered against policies on shared housing and communal living. It is important for private providers of student accommodation to have early discussions with Higher Education Institutions to ensure the accommodation is designed and built to meet their requirements. The Council will expect developers to demonstrate that they have engaged with the appropriate organisations to ensure that new developments will meet identified need. To ensure students with an income equivalent to that provided to full-time UK students by state funded sources of financial support for living costs can afford to stay in PBSA, the council will seek to secure the maximum level of accommodation as affordable student accommodation in accordance with the London Plan.
4.68 Although student accommodation does not need to meet the internal space standards required for permanent housing, the accommodation must be high quality and meet the needs of all potential students, including the needs of wheelchair users and other disabled students. In order to meet the needs of students with physical disabilities, 10% of student rooms must be wheelchair accessible (capable of being independently accessed and used). To meet this requirement, rooms and bathrooms must meet the requirements outlined in Figure 30 and Figure 52 in the British Standard BS8300: Design of an accessible and inclusive built environment. Proposals will be expected to comply with the London Plan Guidance on PBSA.
4.69 Whilst many students require accommodation during term time only, some residents may need a permanent home throughout their studies and development therefore should make provision of units for year-round occupation and uses outside of term time. Student management plans will be expected to include information about how the student accommodation will be used and managed during university vacation periods. Examples of temporary use of purpose-built student accommodation during vacation periods for ancillary uses include providing accommodation for conference delegates, visitors, interns on university placements, and students on short-term education courses at any institution approved in advance by the council. Conditions and/or legal agreements will be used to ensure that the ancillary use does not result in a material change of use of the building.
4.70 Student accommodation developments should not place undue pressure on local infrastructure, in particular transport and will therefore be required to comply with the transport policies in this Local Plan. In addition to provision of cycle parking, consideration must also be made by applicants for the use of micromobility schemes, in line with Local Plan Policy T4. In town centres, student accommodation developments will be expected to provide active frontages to add interest to the street scene. In the interest of contributing to mixed and balanced communities, leisure facilities provided within student developments should be made available for public use where there is an identified shortfall in provision.
4.71 The council seeks to protect against the loss of existing student accommodation. However, flexibility will be applied where it can be adequately demonstrated that the proposed alternative use serves a more acute identified housing need such as genuinely affordable housing. In addition, any proposal resulting in the loss of student accommodation will be expected to demonstrate that the accommodation is no longer meeting a need for student housing, or alternatively, where it is demonstrated that there is adequate re-provision of the student accommodation that satisfies the requirements of Local Plan Policy HO8 (Part 1). The council will encourage the refurbishment of buildings to ensure student accommodation is brought up to an acceptable modern standard.