Residents of retirement homes petition against plans for student flats in Northampton town centre
student flat plans St John's car park
RESIDENTS of a retirement complex in Northampton town centre have launched a petition against plans to build a block of student flats nearby.
The Chronicle & Echo first revealed in September that The University of Northampton was holding talks with Northampton Borough Council to build 464 student flats on the St John’s open air car park, close to the Derngate theatre.
The scheme has upset residents of the nearby Albion Court retirement complex, who said moving so many students into the area would change it dramatically.
David White, who lives in Albion Court, said: “A sudden influx of a large number of students so near the town centre will drastically change the character of the town.
“Although there may be positive aspects, residents at Albion Court are concerned about this potential change.
“When the council has allowed the development of retirement accommodation in the area, it doesn’t seem sensible to plan student accommodation almost next door.
“Residents have moved to Albion Court to spend their later years in a peaceful and settled environment.
“With student accommodation in the near vicinity the quietness and tranquillity will inevitably change.
“Drinking habits, noise, and behavioural difficulties which are observed in every student community, will suddenly be on our doorstep, and right in the town centre.”
To date, almost a third of the residents of Albion Court have signed the petition against the development, which they plan to hand into the Guildhall later this week.
As well as concerns about noise and disruption, they have also expressed worries about the impact the development would have on parking in the area as the 150 spaces in the current St John’s car park would be lost when the flats were built and only five disabled parking spaces would be included in the new building.
A report commissioned by the university has argued the development would not have a negative impact on parking and the borough council said there were currently 1,792 more spaces than are needed in the town centre.
The borough council will decide whether or not the scheme should go ahead by the end of April.
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Comments
There are 10 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
Davejw
Wednesday, February 22, 2012 at 05:14 PMOne thing seems very evident here. The elderly have once been young; many have also been students, and thus are qualified to comment and conclude on this scenario from their perspective. The young have never been elderly, and should wait until they get there before inadequately 'forecasting'.
Liam Costello
Wednesday, February 22, 2012 at 08:59 AMThis would make an ideal site for a bus station with its position on the orbital road, as opposed to the Fishmarket site which is inadequate.
executioners_bong
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 11:38 AMsurely Milton Keynes would be a much better place to build this development?
lady muck
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 10:57 AMI would have thought that the students would have wanted to be living near the uni....but then, perhaps I am making the stupid assumption that they are expected to turn up for lectures, use the library etc...
Semilong1
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 09:26 AMThe town Centre needs to be a vibrant hub to survive, Get these student flats built in record time, Its good for the old un's to have young people around them, believe it or not they were once young too.
SteveRiches
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 09:24 AMWhen I get too old to post comments on here please stick me in a noisy and lively student zone so that I can fade away surrounded with a bit of life!
mabbuttjose
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 09:13 AMHere we go again .I think it would be wrong to enclose this area as it would hide nice historical buildings like the old police station or court house whatever it was that you can see from St Johns flats'i thought all that area was going to be landscaped like a garden.
Finker
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 08:09 AMYou would have thought these residents would have had enough life experience to guess that things were liable to develop in a town centre.
20SOMETHING
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 08:04 AMbouncer is right the position is to far from the learning site and elderly people are quite rightly worried by the noise and loud music that will inevitability emanate from the student accommodation. There are much better and cheaper sites available next to the railway lines where more student flats could be built with more parking spaces for visitors and students where elderly people would not be disturbed. If the present car park is underused then it should be made a Free car park to encourage more people to visit the town center..
bouncer
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 07:32 AMIts an incredibly stupid idea from every aspect! If you look around,there are other alternative sites nearer to the students seats of learning . Why plonk them in a high cost central area? Its not that thousands of students will make Northampton there first choice...
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