A student accommodation led scheme, located adjacent to the University of Kent campus and Giles Lane, unanimously received permission to grant from Canterbury City Council’s Planning Committee last night.

The newly consented scheme will deliver 936 purpose built student accommodation units across five blocks. The scheme has been designed to be multi-functional, with two of the blocks designed to operate as a hotel and conferencing facility outside the university academic calendar.

The scheme was supported by the University of Kent and St Edmunds School, who praised the development’s plans in bringing students ‘back to campus’ and alleviating local housing pressures, plus improving student opportunities for sport.

Sporting provision will be improved by the construction of a new squash club and sports pavilion, which will replace the existing and over-subscribed squash club on Giles Lane, providing the local community with new modern facilities. The entrance to Giles Lane will also be widened at its junction with Whitstable road as part of the proposals.

Cluster bedrooms, studios and accessible studios will be developed within the student accommodation. The flats range from 4-8 bedrooms and offer kitchen and amenity space. Block B offers cluster bedrooms customised to hotel style specifications to facilitate hotel use during conferences.

B&M are acting as Project Managers and Quantity Surveyors on the project, developing the detailed proposals alongside student accommodation specialists Church Lukas.

Work will now begin to develop the design further to facilitate start on site. We look forward to sharing more about this exciting project as it develops.