Barnes Halls of Residence & Hawthorns Development A world - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Barnes Halls of Residence & Hawthorns Development • A world class university requires world class facilities • Our predicted student numbers are likely to increase by 20% and thus the need for high quality sustainable accommodation also increases • It is proposed 2 new Barnes Halls of Residence are built to replace the Hawthorns Halls • Barnes Halls will be en-suite in response to student demand • Hawthorns Halls are now technically and financially impractical to refurbish • Investment has been made to Hawthorns but they are now nearing the end of their practical lifespan

What are we proposing to build? • 2 student accommodation blocks • Circa. 453 student bedrooms • 6 – 8 bedroom clusters with shared kitchen and social space • Laundrette and management hub facilities • Blocks will be lower than the Innovation Centre buildings • Block 1 - a mix of 3 & 4 storeys • Block 2 - 4 storeys • Car Parking

Where will the new halls be built?

What will they look like? Block 1: Block 2:

What will the rooms look like? NB: Precise colours & finishes may change. Photograph is representational only.

To enable us to build the Halls of Residence we have to release the Hawthorns site to our developer partner (Seddons) so they can build houses for sale on the open market. Keele University will not own the Hawthorns site once it’s been fully developed.

What is happening now? • There have been numerous iterations of the scheme. The previous version was recently rejected because of key concerns relating to the Hawthorns conservation area. • There are no concerns relating to the proposed accommodation at Barnes Halls. This part of the proposal remains the same. • Feedback is being invited in relation to a revised Hawthorns layout which has been drafted to address key concerns regarding the conservation area. • Feedback will inform the development of a final scheme.

Hawthorns Proposal • Low density development – the recently rejected scheme proposed 92 dwellings. • The current draft layout has less development. • Hawthorns House, The Villa and the Barn will be retained. • Maximum retention of trees & existing green spaces. • Provision of a School ‘drop off’ zone with parking. Clearly defined pedestrian routes. • Possible shop location. • Layout design takes reference from clustering of Keele Village properties. Elevation design takes reference from Keele Village properties.

Existing & Proposed Hawthorns Development Current Site Layout Recently Rejected Draft Proposal issued Layout mid-September 2015 to invite feedback

Hawthorns Proposal: How Did the mid-September 2015 layout address the Planning Inspectors key concerns? Key Concern: Mid-September 2015 layout response: a) The loss of a part of an important area of greenspace The greenspace was re-instated. to the front of Hawthorns House. b) Loss of trees, particularly within the Conservation Trees within the Conservation Area were re-evaluated for Area. retention and worked into the scheme with significantly more numbers to be retained together with improved allowances of the root protection zones and for future growth potential. c) Harm to the setting of Hawthorns House and Any perceived harm was significantly reduced by the consequential diminution of the contribution that this proposed responses identified above, including less property has to the significance of the Conservation houses, re-aligned roads & retention of trees. Area.

Hawthorns Proposal: 7 th October 2015 Updated to reflect feedback received since Mid-September 2015:

Hawthorns Proposal 7 th October 2015: What are the proposed improvements compared to the Mid-September 2015 layout? Improvements to the Setting of Hawthorns House: Improvements to house styles and design: Revised proposal will provide more trees – more than the site currently contains: Reconfigured layout at the southern aspect More effective use of existing buildings to • • of the Conservation Area. improve the mixture of house sizes and Layout tweaks maximize the retention of • types. high quality mature trees. Larger Garden for Hawthorns House. • More flats in Hawthorns House. Most notable improvement is around the • • Creation of public open space and retention Northern aspect of the site accessed from • of important trees to the North. Conversion of the Barn in to a dwelling. Quarry Bank. • Retention of access routes in the Introduction of Kellbrook house type – Fewer trees to be removed. • • • conservation area – but converted for adding variety to the street scene. pedestrian use only. Increased planting of ‘extra heavy standard’ • Proposed road surface treatments to trees around the entire site. • Careful selection of boundary treatments. improve the site aesthetics. • Sustainable design - high performing • building insulation will reduce energy bills and Carbon emissions. High quality children's play area to be located the More pedestrian access to and from Quarry Bank Careful selection of boundary treatments across ‘Bowl’ with formal pedestrian access. Road. the site. Increased school drop off parking. Increased shop parking. Increased Hawthorns House parking.

What next? • The Barnes accommodation designs will remain the same. • The Hawthorns design will be developed using consultation feedback. • A planning application will be submitted thereafter, hopefully before the end of October.

Some Frequently Asked Questions When will the new Barnes Halls be ready for Students to rent? • This all depends on the timetable and outcome of the planning determination. We will not commence development of the Hawthorns site until the new Barnes Blocks have been built.

Some Frequently Asked Questions What will be the rental cost of the Barnes Halls? • The rental costs will reflect ‘premier, en-suite’ accommodation in the context of alternative campus accommodation. • Rental market conditions will also be a factor. • Precise costs will be set when we are in a position to start taking lettings.

Some Frequently Asked Questions Will this reduce the amount of campus accommodation? • Once new Halls have been built there will be c.450 more bedrooms on campus than current. • As the Hawthorns site is released the amount of campus bedrooms will start to fall. Looking ahead, the implementation of the future accommodation strategy will identify the numbers of campus bedrooms to be maintained.

Some Frequently Asked Questions Has there been stakeholder consultation for these proposals? • Yes there has been extensive consultation – over time the designs have been dramatically altered to accommodate the views of staff, students, Keele Village residents and other key stakeholders. • Previous design proposals included an additional hall of residence at Horwood and care home at Hawthorns. • We’ve also submitted the designs for scrutiny by independent architect design boards. Where possible we’ve taken on board feedback over the last 6 years. • Feedback is now being invited to establish a final Hawthorns layout.

Some Frequently Asked Questions Have other proposals been considered for the Hawthorns site? • The proposals outlined in this presentation represent the optimal solution for Keele University. • This follows extensive appraisals of the range of refurbishment and redevelopment options. • Various options were assessed in the context of current building constraints, student experience, budget constraints, timescale constraints, etc.

Some Frequently Asked Questions Why isn’t it possible to refurbish the Hawthorns Halls? • It is technically and financially impractical to refurbish the Hawthorns Halls. The university has invested as much as it can in to extend the life of the Hawthorns site but we’re ‘now very near the end of the line’. • The main issue is the limitations of the building structures and the ratios of bathrooms and kitchens. • We don’t have the funds to demolish & rebuild without a significant capital injection. • Equally there is not enough time to procure such a scheme given the pressure to accommodate more students on campus. The proposals described herein are the only viable solution open to the University.

Some Frequently Asked Questions Why isn’t it possible to redevelop the Hawthorns Halls? • It would not be possible to maintain the number of campus bedrooms. • Increased building mass would not be appropriate for the Hawthorns site.

Some Frequently Asked Questions Will Keele University still own the Hawthorns Site? • The only way we can afford to procure the Barnes Halls is to release the Hawthorns site to our developer partner (Seddons) so they can build houses for sale on the open market. • Keele University will not own the Hawthorns site once it’s been fully developed.

Some Frequently Asked Questions What if the appeal is unsuccessful? • We can’t afford to refurbish the Hawthorns Halls. Even if we could identify an alternative viable solution (which there isn’t) we’d be facing a circa 8-10 years lead in period – during which student numbers are predicted to grow by 20%. • The combination of increased student numbers and need to implement a phased decommissioning of the Hawthorns Halls would create a massive under supply of campus accommodation.