Greenstead fears as Essex University homes plan is approved (From Gazette)

Greenstead fears as Essex University homes plan is approved

5:00pm Monday 9th January 2012 in Local News By James Calnan

Upset – councillor Julie Young with residents Brenda Spinlove and Kate Loader in Mascot Square, Colchester, where students park on pavements

MORE than 400 student homes can be built on Essex University’s Colchester campus, despite fears it could increase parking problems in Greenstead.

Colchester Council’s planning committee agreed to allow the university to build 420 en suite bedrooms in a mixture of flats and townhouses.

Julie Young, borough councillor for St Andrew’s ward, said no parking spaces had been provided, causing a knock-on effect in nearby Greenstead and Wivenhoe.

A working party is going to be set up between Colchester Council and Essex University to look at ways of tackling parking problems and other issues.

Mrs Young said parking was particularly bad in Mascot Square and Avon Way, where students tend to park their cars.

She said: “It’s not unusual to have cars appear early on a Monday morning in the road where I live, or surrounding roads.

“They’re there for five days and you know exactly what’s going on.

“The cars disappear on Friday because it’s free to park at the weekend on campus.”

Andrew Nightingale, the university’s director of estate management, said all students living on campus were strongly discouraged from using their cars, with university car parks charging £8 a day.

He suggested residents parking permits could be introduced on affected streets, something Mrs Young said councillors had been attempting to introduce for more than two years.

Mr Nightingale described the proposed homes as elegant and of a high-quality design.

Christopher Arnold, a planning committee councillor, said he accepted many Colchester residents were frustrated with people parking outside their homes.

But he added: “I think we need to support the university in its efforts to make sure students don’t bring cars if they live on campus.”

Councillors deferred the decision to a senior council officer who can give the project the green light once a handful of drainage issues are resolved with the Environment Agency.

The accommodation is the first detailed planning application for the forthcoming Knowledge Gateway.

The project will see homes, a hotel, leisure facilities and space for businesses built around an Institute for Democracy and Conflict Resolution.

It already has outline planning permission, but more detailed plans are still to be submitted.