Plans for a brand new five-storey student housing complex in Nottingham have been approved despite rising vacancy rates in the city. The old Willbond bathroom showroom on Ilkeston Road in Lenton will be torn down to construct a 109-bedroom complex. The ground level will feature a gym and communal spaces for occupants. Nottingham City Council’s planning committee gave its approval on Wednesday (April 22). Only one councillor opposed the scheme, with Cllr Kevin Clarke (Ind) being the sole objector. He raised objections based on the lengthy time elapsed since community consultation and the increasing number of empty units in purpose-built student accommodation. A council-commissioned student accommodation assessment published in March 2026 shows the sector is now experiencing its third consecutive year of declining conditions. The occupancy survey for 2025/26 recorded a vacancy rate of 12.7 per cent, up from 11.2 per cent the prior year and significantly higher than pre-2023 levels, which typically remained below one per cent. Self-contained studios have been hit hardest, with vacancy reaching 16.1 per cent compared to 11.6 per cent for cluster accommodation, a trend blamed on reduced interest from international postgraduate students and those preferring cheaper shared options. After the committee meeting, Cllr Clarke expressed concern that the site was extremely constrained, noting the area was facing a 12 per cent vacancy rate. He highlighted that parking would present serious challenges and that there was only a single point of entry with no alternative access at the rear, with everything positioned very close together. Committee members were informed the community consultation took place on June 16, 2023. Cllr Shuguftah Quddoos (Green) responded by acknowledging that Cllr Clarke raised a legitimate concern. She pointed out that the development would face directly onto homes and that residents there may not have been living there two or three years ago. She suggested that while they might not be required to do so procedurally, it could represent sound practice to engage with residents who would be living opposite this construction, particularly given the existing sensitivity around student housing. She recommended they at least conduct a current consultation with those affected by this development and all the disruption it would bring. Paul Seddon, planning director, stated the scheme meets the council’s consultation requirements and noted that no local residents submitted objections during the previous consultation period. The existing two-storey building sits at the Ilkeston Road and Bright Street intersection, and Nottingham Civic Society had voiced concern about the loss of Victorian commercial structures. Cllr Samina Riaz, representing Lenton and Wollaton East for Labour, raised worries about additional traffic during construction, yet expressed support for the scheme, believing it would be a positive addition. She noted there is genuine demand for student housing which would allow properties in Lenton and Wollaton to be refilled, enabling families to return to them. A council officer mentioned that discussions are underway about falling demand and the possible conversion of student developments into co-living spaces or commercial offices. According to Nottingham City Council, the land falls within an area that has undergone significant change in recent years and is now recognized for its high density of student accommodation. One of the more recent nearby developments is the 720-bedroom Deakins Place complex, finished in 2022.