Affordable homes plan for old student block dropped

The Bassett Lowke building provided accommodation for nearly 250 university students

Plans to convert a former student accommodation block into 170 affordable homes have been dropped after its viability was called into question.

West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) approved proposals for the vacant Bassett Lowke building, which it owns, in 2021.

But in a U-turn, the block, formerly part of the University of Northampton, will now be sold by the authority instead of featuring in their social housing programme.

It comes after Northamptonshire Partnership Homes, which manages WNC's housing services, said the project was no longer viable as a result of changes to the construction sector and housing market.

The university moved to its new Waterside Campus in 2018, leading to the closure of Avenue Campus - where the Bassett Lowke building is located - and Park Campus in Kingsthorpe.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the council said eliminating the old student block from its plans was "essential" in making sure the rest of the proposals at the former campus were deliverable.

The Bassett-Lowke building was originally flagged to be refurbished while the other two areas of the campus on St George's Avenue would be demolished for new housing.

The council said it had received cabinet approval to dispose of the 248-bed student block and had already had an offer for it, and the adjacent Quinton building.

A further plan identifying the strategy for the rest of the site will be presented to cabinet later in the year.