Leicester student accommodation receives retrospective planning permission

Our planning team has successfully secured retrospective planning permission for 36 student rooms at Millstone House in central Leicester.

The application, submitted on behalf of developer OSM Leicester Ltd, concerned the four-storey building in the city centre, which the company purchased in 2015. At the time, Millstone House consisted of 11 residential flats with a combined total of 40 bedrooms.

Believing the site’s use as student housing had already been established, the developer began refurbishment works in 2021 to modernise the building and improve living standards. The works, completed in September 2022, reconfigured the original flats into 36 student rooms – all with en-suite bathrooms – including 11 self-contained studio apartments with kitchenettes.

However, the project was carried out without prior planning permission as the developer was unaware that a change-of-use application was necessary, assuming the building’s existing use class permitted continued student occupancy.

Our planning experts successfully made the case for retrospective approval, highlighting the site’s long-standing residential use and the wider demand for quality student accommodation in Leicester.

Sachin Parmar, planning director, said: “This outcome ensures the significant investment made into improving the standard of living at Millstone House can continue to serve the needs of Leicester’s growing student population.

“This decision is a positive step towards addressing the city’s student housing shortfall, aligning with trends in purpose-built accommodation and supporting sustainable redevelopment in the city centre. We’re pleased to have helped regularise the planning status of the property.”

Millstone House was originally constructed in the 1970s and converted from office use to residential flats in 1996. It has been used intermittently for student housing since.

The refurbishment addressed structural issues and brought the property up to modern building standards with enhanced fire safety and insulation. The bedroom count was reduced from 40 to 36 to allow for improved layouts and amenities, including en-suites and studio options, in response to evolving student preferences for independent living.

A supporting noise assessment by NJD Environment Associates found the development did not expose occupants to unacceptable noise levels and would not negatively affect nearby residents.