Flexible Approach Urged for Meeting London’s 31,500 New Student Beds Target
Devonshire Place -image credit: JTP
London’s capacity to deliver 31,500 new purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) bedrooms over the next ten years hinges on boroughs adopting a flexible interpretation of the Draft London Plan’s targets, according to planning consultancy Lichfields.
The Draft London Plan marks the first time individual PBSA targets have been assigned to each London borough, providing local authorities with a clearer framework to guide where new student housing developments should be located. This represents a significant step in integrating PBSA into the city’s broader housing strategy, acknowledging its role in supporting universities and alleviating pressure on the private rental market.
However, for these targets to result in actual construction, boroughs must view them as minimum benchmarks rather than rigid caps. Flexibility will be essential to accommodate shifts in student demand, university expansion plans, and the financial viability of developments.
Jonathan Hoban, Associate Director at Lichfields’ London office, commented: “The introduction of borough-level targets gives local authorities a much clearer basis on which to plan for student accommodation. PBSA is an important part of London’s housing mix, supporting the capital’s universities while reducing the number of students competing for homes in the wider private rented market.”
He added: “The key is ensuring that the targets support delivery without becoming an artificial limit. Demand will change over the lifetime of the Plan, so boroughs will need to provide sufficient flexibility to consider suitable schemes where there is clear evidence of demand.”
The Draft London Plan requires boroughs to address local student accommodation needs and encourage new development opportunities. It also recognises PBSA’s contribution to overall housing supply by counting every 2.5 student bedrooms as equivalent to one conventional home.
Local plans are advised against restricting student housing to a small number of designated sites. Instead, allowing PBSA on a broader range of appropriate residential locations would enable councils and developers to better respond to fluctuating demand.
Hoban noted: “Student accommodation requirements and development conditions can change more quickly than local plans. A broader approach to site allocation would allow proposals to be assessed against the evidence available at the time, rather than restricting delivery to a fixed list of locations.”
The draft policy also suggests that new PBSA developments should generally be situated within approximately 30 minutes’ travel of a university campus and have good access to public transport, services, and amenities. Boroughs may implement policies to manage concentrations of student housing to preserve mixed and inclusive communities.
Additionally, the Plan proposes more flexible options for how PBSA developments contribute to affordable housing. Developers could provide affordable student rooms, combine a reduced proportion of affordable student accommodation with payments towards conventional affordable housing, or deliver traditional affordable homes.
Hoban said: “The wider choice of affordable housing options is a constructive step. Different sites and operators face different circumstances, and greater flexibility should make it easier to agree an approach that supports delivery and helps meet London’s affordable housing objectives.”
He concluded: “The Draft Plan gives PBSA clearer strategic status. The detail will now be important in helping boroughs turn those targets into new accommodation.”
The consultation period for the Draft London Plan closes at 5pm on 15 October 2026.
