Plans to redevelop a former crown court in Southwark and replace it with student accommodation and social housing have been recommended for approval.
The applicant, iQ Student Accommodation, has submitted plans to demolish Blackfriars Crown Court and build accommodation for 600 students as well as 71 social rent homes.
According to council documents, the building on Pocock Street was originally constructed in the post-war period for use as a printworks HM Stationary Office.
It was later refurbished to become Blackfriars Crown Court until it closed in December 2019. Since then the building has stood vacant, though it was reportedly used as a location to film court scenes for Netflix’s Top Boy.
Southwark Council’s Planning Committee will hear and decide on the proposals at a meeting.
If the plans are approved, the student accommodation would be contained in one block that would be part six and part nine storeys tall.
The housing block would be 100per cent social rented, and would consist of 23 one-beds, 34 two-beds, 6 three-beds and 8 four-beds.
The student accommodation would have 190 studios, 100 ‘premium studios’, 60 accessible studios and 40 shared ‘cluster’ flats for groups of five and seven people.
Students would also have access to communal spaces including a lounge, flexible study rooms, a cinema and karaoke room, a games room, a gym, private dining rooms and laundry facilities.
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The proposals also include a publicly accessible café unit as well as flexible commercial floorspace.
iQ is proposing 376 long-stay cycle parking spaces, which includes a private hire scheme offering 14 bicycles.
During the public consultation stage, the plans received two objections from the public. The objections raised concerns over a lack of affordable housing, the concentration of student housing in the area, as well as the impacts on privacy, daylight and sunlight.
A planning officer responded to the objections, and said: “The inclusion of student housing within the proposed development has been assessed as part of the overall land use strategy and is considered appropriate for the area.
“The commercial element comprises a café and an additional flexible-use space designated under Class E. This flexibility allows the space to respond to evolving local needs and ensures activation of the ground floor along the newly proposed Link Street.”
They also said the 40per cent affordable housing offer was “very good”.
The plans will ultimately be decided upon at a meeting this week.
