Kingston University has unveiled ambitious plans to build a new £30million, 864-bed student village on the site of the old Berrylands sewage works in Surbiton.

An outline planning application was submitted to the council on Monday by the university, Thames Water and developer Spiritbond Student Housing to convert the 10-acre derelict Marsh Lane site.

The consortium has been planning the project for 14 months and, if it gets the green light, construction could begin as early as next spring.

The three and four-storey blocks of flats, leisure facilities and landscaping, next to the university's existing 700-bed Clayhill hall of residence, would be funded by private finance and take 30 months to complete.

But first the university must win the battle to build on a site designated as Metropolitan Open Land, which gives it the same protection as Green Belt land.

This goes against current council and London-wide policy, so the application will be referred to both the Mayor of London and the Secretary of State.

Council policy states "except in very special circumstances" applications to build on open land should be refused.

But the university and the developers are convinced they can win the argument.

The university says it needs a radical solution to the acute shortage of affordable housing in Kingston, and must be able to meet Government targets for increasing the percentage of people entering university education.

John Stanley of Spiritbond said the site, wedged between the graveyard, sewage works and railway, was derelict.

He said it was not open to the public and "is in everyone's minds a brownfield site".

The consortium is also promising a number of improvements to benefit the local community if the plan is approved.

These include; opening up access to the Hogsmill river and the creation of a riverside walkway from Berrylands station to Villiers Way, transferring the university bus route to Clayhill away from Berrylands residential streets, sorting out the unpleasant odours which emanate from the site, improved access for residents to Berrylands station, and allowing residents to use a planned meeting hall and other facilities during the summer.

The student flats themselves will be built elsewhere, then assembled in block form on the site, to reduce the impact during building."

July 8, 2002 17:30