The following tables set out the position as at 17 November 2024 regarding large student residences since 2012. This is a constantly changing area and this table needs to be updated regularly.
Note that there are two Purpose-Built Student Accommodation properties (PBSAs) in existence prior to 2012: Keenan House (132 beds) and Brackenbury House (48 beds) at the University Hospital of North Durham.
Note also that in particular PBSAs (annotated in the tables) the University has secured some or all of the bed-spaces. It has exclusive rights for placing its nominee students in them, so they are classed as ‘living-in’ bed-spaces. The rest of the bed-spaces of the PBSAs are classed as ‘living-out’.
For the purposes of this note the following definitions have been adopted:
The summary position is set out below, followed by a detailed list of each property. (Note that ‘apartments’ have been counted as 1 bed where not specified but these may in fact have 2 or even more beds).
| Up and running in the Academic Year 2024-2025: |
4,569 beds |
In the pipeline:
|
|
| TOTAL ADDITIONAL BED-SPACES CREATED OR APPROVED SINCE 2012: | 5,955 beds |
|
Allocated in County Durham Plan Policy 16.2 as PBSA sites and subsequently amended by the decision to retain the existing accommodation at James Barber House |
2,000 to 3,000 beds |
| GRAND TOTAL | 7,955 to 8,955 beds |
| Name / location | Status: Up and running as at 9 November 2024 |
Numbers |
| St Margaret’s Flats, now Crossgate Lofts | Built by St John’s College in 1994, sold on to Empiric Student Property and refurbished in 2017. | 109 bedrooms, in 22 flats in 5 blocks |
| Elvet Studios (Green Lane) | Opened September 2013. Managed by Unite Students. | 112 apartments |
| City Block, Ainsley Street | Opened October 2014. | 223 beds |
| Ward Court | Opened autumn 2015. | 36 beds |
| Chapel Heights | Opened September 2016. | 198 beds |
| St Giles Studios,110 Gilesgate | Opened September 2016. | 109 beds |
| New Kepier Court (University-leased for University College students) |
Opened September 2017. | 214 rooms |
| Neville House / Sheraton House | Ustinov College relocated to here. Opened 2017. | 418 beds |
| Ernest Place, Renny’s Lane, Dragonville (University-leased for about 160 (?) of the beds) NB not in the City of Durham Parish |
Opened 2017 |
36 flats with 5 or 6 bedrooms each, and 183 individual studios, making 362 rooms in 219 properties. |
| Duresme Court, Nevilles Cross | Opened Autumn 2018. | 277 room student “eco village” |
| Dunholm House, The Riverwalk | Opened Autumn 2018. | 253 beds |
| Rushford Court (Unite) now being adapted by the University and will be Hild/Bede students while that college is redeveloped |
Opened Autumn 2018. | 358 beds |
| Houghall Court (Unite) | Opened September 2018. | 222 beds |
| Student Castle, Lower Claypath | Opened September 2019. | 473 beds |
| John Snow College, Mount Oswald | Relocation from Stockton in 2018, first in Rushford Court and then in the new building opened in September 2020. | 492 beds |
| South College, Mount Oswald | Opened in September 2020. | 496 beds |
| The Three Tuns, New Elvet | Former hotel, planning application to increase the capacity from 50 to 168 beds approved June 2019. | 168 beds |
| The Printworks (formerly William Robson House) (DM/22/00961/FPA) | The approved planning application was for the conversion of parts of the ground, first and second floors of William Robson House to create 28 Sui Generis student bed-spaces. There are 21 residential C3 bed-spaces previously approved, making a total of 49 bed-spaces at William Robson House. These are now available and many are occupied. |
49 beds |
| Total up and running as at 6 May 2024 |
4,569 beds | |
| Name / location | Status: In the pipeline (a) under construction expected to open for the Academic year 2024/25 | Numbers |
| Former Marks & Spencer, Silver Street (DM/20/03760/FPA) | Although approved to convert and extend to form 58 bed spaces, now there is an approval for a STACK venue. | 0 beds |
| Apollo Bingo Hall, Sherburn Road (DM/21/01611/FPA) NB not in the City of Durham Parish |
Demolish and then construct 128 bed PBSA. Approved at Committee 12 April 2022. The site is now under construction. |
128 beds |
| Total in the pipeline (a) under construction, expected to open for the Academic Year 2024/25 |
128 beds | |
| Name / location | Status: In the pipeline (b) with planning permission but not yet started | Numbers |
| Mount Oswald (Banks) | Outline planning application DM/16/04067/OUT approved in January 2018 for land adjacent to the University’s site. Renewal application DM/20/03238/OUT approved in July 2023; work not started. | 850 beds |
| Prince Bishops Place (DM/24/00705/FPA) |
Comprehensive redevelopment scheme including an up to 408-bed PBSA. County Planning Committee approved on 3 July 2024 subject to Section 106 agreements. | (Up to) 408 beds |
| Total in the pipeline (b) with planning permission but not yet started | (Up to) 1,258 beds | |
| Name / location | Status: County Durham Plan allocations | Numbers |
| University Masterplan |
Six sites in County Plan Policy 16.2:
*Note that the University has received approval (DM/22/03134/FPA) to carry out improvements to this post-graduate accommodation; this work has been completed. Thus there is a net reduction from 45 to 41 beds on the site and the above allocation for between 100 and 200 beds is extinguished. |
These ranges of capacity are from the University’s response to the EiP Inspector’s SQ 19 and amount to between 2,100 and 3,200 additional beds. With the James Barber decision, the range is now between 2,000 and 3,000 beds |
| Total County Durham Plan allocations as amended by the James Barber decision | Between 2,000 and 3,000 additional beds. | |
Note 1: in Back Silver Street a development of 13 flats and 5 studio apartments offering 56 beds, to be managed by Q Student, was approved on 16 November 2016 but construction has not started although some ground clearance is evident. This may be regarded as sufficient to deem the application as having started being implemented, or it may not be so regarded and the permission would thereby have lapsed in November 2019.
Note 2: Planning application DM/23/01975/FPA at Hallgarth Care Home for 69 beds claimed to be a PBSA but refused as a cluster of nine HMOs and refused on appeal. A fresh application for a 48-bed PBSA is now under consideration.
Note 3: Planning application DM/24/00149/FPA for a 232-bed PBSA adjacent to Melbury Court is under consideration.
This information demonstrates the eruption of private Purpose-Built Student Accommodation buildings (PBSAs) that has accompanied the significant expansion of Durham University in recent years. At the same time more and more applications are made to convert family homes into Houses in Multiple Occupation. An information sheet on the numbers and distributions of HMOs will be useful.
This is more complicated than most people (not you, I’m sure) might think. I am planning a further page to sit alongside this one. Watch this space!
Table now updated to show the position as at July 2023
Updated to correct number of bed spaces at Rushford Court, and to note that Apollo Bingo has been purchased and a completion date given. (August 14/15 2023)
Now updated to show the position as at 6 May 2024.