PLANNING officers have recommended that a block of student digs be given the go-ahead, despite residents’ objections.

Developers of applied for planning permission to build a 60-bed student accommodation on unused land at Holly Street in Durham.

The proposed purpose-built block, which would lie within the city’s conservation area, would be two-and-a-half storeys high.

A total of 15 letters have been submitted to Durham County Council raising concerns about the scheme, including the City of Durham Trust, the Campaign to Protect Rural England and the city’s MP Roberta Blackman-Woods.

Objectors raise concerns about “the overconcentration of students and the potential for anti-social behaviour which can arise from students living in the area”.

They also highlight what they argue is the development’s “unacceptable design, road safety, potential problems with rubbish and the impact on neighbouring properties, including in nearby John Street.

A statement to Durham County Council’s area planning committee on behalf of the developers said: “The site has been empty for years and its derelict condition is a detractor from the character and appearance of this part of the Conservation Area”.

It adds: “Given this scheme is a substantial investment in a derelict and prominent site I find that it will have a positive impact on the heritage asset of the Conservation Area”.

Council planning officers have recommended the application be approved, subject to conditions, and councillors will make a decision at County Hall on Tuesday.