A STUDENT village planned for the site of a commercial laundry has been granted outline planning permission, despite residents’ fears they were being swamped by the development.

Edinburgh-based County Properties (Northern) Group was today (Tuesday) granted outline permission for the 277-bed student development at Nevilles Cross, in Durham.

As part of the deal, the Berendsen laundry at the crossroads would move to new premises at Meadowfield, safeguarding around 150 existing jobs and allowing for expansion which would create another 50.

However, members of Durham County Council’s County Planning Committee heard the development had cause widespread concern among residents worried their community was being submerged by students.

Durham University, the city’s MP Roberta Blackman-Woods, St Margaret’s Infant School, The City of Durham Trust, Crossgate Community Partnership, Sheraton Park Residents’ Association and Nevilles Cross Community Association all lodged formal objections to the scheme, along with 19 individual residents.

Referring to a number of recent planning applications for student accommodation in the city, Roger Cornwall, of the City of Durham Trust, told the meeting at County Hall: “The needs of the student population have been very well met, the needs of local residents, particularly for affordable housing, have not.”

Committee member Cllr Patrick Conway said: “We have heard very clearly that Durham is saturated with accommodation for students, some residents might feel that they are submerged rather than saturated.”

The 6,600 square metre site just off the A167 is currently dominated by the red-brick laundry, which developers hope to demolish and turn into a complex of studio apartments, along with a communal area and parking for 48 cars and 138 bicycles.

However, several members of the committee said they were in favour of development of the site, which served as a gateway to the city and offered an opportunity to create more jobs in the area.

Cllr Mike Dixon said: “The character and appearance of the present site is appalling and this development would mitigate that.

“Obviously the student issue is a contentious one, but something needs to happen here. I would hate to see this company lose those jobs.”

Cllr John Clare: “As an outsider, it strikes me that Durham is a student city, it is a city which relies on its students, and ultimately students have to be accommodated within the city.”

Cllr David Boyes: “There seems to be a jaundiced view of undergraduates in Durham. When I have met students they seem like reasonable people and I have never come across the rowdiness which has been described.

“It has to be a concern that we could be losing 200 jobs in the city.”