News / Housing
Objections over plan to turn care home into student accommodation
A plan to change the use of a former care home so it can become student flats has met opposition from locals who warn of an over-concentration of students.
The former site of St Joseph’s Home on Cotham Hill in Cotham was put up for sale when the business closed its doors in 2025.
Now developer Harringay Real Estate’s proposed change of use of the land is due to be put before councillors, with eight days left of the consultation and objections brewing in the houses nearby.
“Cotham and Clifton Down are already very, very unbalanced communities where up to 37.5 per cent of the population is students,” said resident Ant Draper. “It has considerable knock-on effects for services like hospitals, police and waste collection.
“We are not against having students as neighbours but we are very much against having an imbalance, and an additional 132 people living right next door to an existing 196-bed student block is too many.”
In an FAQ section on its website, Developer Harringay Real Estate says: “There is an acute shortage of student accommodation in Bristol, particularly around the University of Bristol’s Clifton campus.
A shortfall in purpose-built student accommodation in the city means that many students live in flats and houses that might normally be occupied by families or young professionals starting out in their careers, which in turn places pressure on housing options and affordability in the city.
“An opportunity now exists to sensitively repurpose the historic building, providing much-needed student accommodation a short walk from the University of Bristol’s main campus and on key bus routes.”
Recently, a report highlighted the stark state of student housing, with many forced into mould-laced, unaffordable accommodation in unsafe areas.
Cotham has a very high proportion of student housing and locals feel it is damaging the mix of the community – photo: Oliver Holder
However, Draper questioned the idea that the development would help ease Bristol’s housing crisis.
“Only yesterday I was talking to a landlord who said there is no chance that by building purpose-built student accommodation you free up HMOs,” he said, referring to houses in multiple occupancy.
“He said it’s far too lucrative and far too expensive to make the conversion back to residential.
“The root of the problem is the University of Bristol continues to expand at an alarming rate, bringing more and more students into a city which is already full.
“We have very long housing lists for people who want to live in Bristol: families and workers who want to move here but can’t afford it or find somewhere to live.”
Around ten Cotham residents have come together to launch a campaign against the development, handing out leaflets and encouraging people to object to the change of use application.
So far, it has received over 40 objections, with many arguing that while they have nothing against students the vast influx is damaging the mix of the community.
A spokesperson for Harringay Real Estate said: “We understand these concerns, and it is why it is so important that high-quality, professionally managed purpose-built student accommodation schemes such as this come forward to reduce the antisocial aspects that can sometimes arise in the unmanaged sector.
“Harringay Real Estate undertook consultation with the surrounding community before submitting
the change of use planning application, and its consultation website has been updated with
information about the planning application.”
Residents have until June 10 to submit any comments before the consultation window closes.
Main photo: Sulis Public Affairs
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