Building turned into student flats without approval
The building is based in Millstone Lane
- Published
A developer turned a building into student accommodation without realising it needed planning permission - and is now seeking retrospective approval.
OSM Leicester Ltd purchased Millstone House in Leicester city centre in 2015, when the building comprised 11 residential flats with a combined 40 bedrooms.
Work started in 2021 to convert the flats into rooms for 36 students and was completed in September 2022.
The developer is now seeking approval from Leicester City Council, claiming it did not know permission was required for the development as the building was already being used as student accommodation when OSM bought it.
The legal use of Millstone House is as residential properties, which falls under a different planning class to student flats, and permission is needed to switch from one to the other, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.
In documents submitted to the council’s planning department, OSM claimed it did not know it required permission for its development.
OSM said the building was being used as student accommodation when it bought it in 2015, and that it “was not aware” the lawful use was different.
OSM added it had carried out the work because the existing rooms “were in poor condition, and the building had structural issues and was built to outdated building standards”.
In addition to reducing the number of rooms, the refurbishment involved swapping two doors for windows, adding bicycle parking and creating a “small area of outdoor amenity space” at the back of the building, as well as indoor communal areas.
Planning documents state the use of this building as student accommodation is "well-established".
A target decision date has been set for 28 October.
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