This is why plans for 90 Kelham Island co-living units have been criticised as councillors prepare to make a decision

The seven-storey building with the units, central courtyard, co-working space and commercial units is planned for the Aircraft and Commercial Tools site on Bowling Green Street.

The building would include 64 studios, six accessible studios and 20 two-bed apartments with communal living and working spaces aimed at young professionals and older people wanting to downsize.

While all the units would be self-contained, the emphasis is on living, working and socialising within communal spaces on each floor, rather than within each private unit.

The communal spaces include a co-working area, kitchen, dining room, lounge, laundry and roof terrace.

The ground floor with shops, workshops and a cafe would be a fundamental part of how the building operates and would supplement the co-living communal spaces, as well as being open to the public.

If approved, the developer will need to pay £9,350 towards the implementation of the Kelham parking scheme.

Residents, including the Kelham and Neepsend Neighbourhood Forum, have sent 14 letters of objection about parking, traffic, noise and the height of the building.

City ward councillors Douglas Johnson, Ruth Mersereau and Martin Phipps say many of the small living spaces are below national space standards and are concerned about the unspecified number of residents having to share limited communal facilities with a lack of outdoor green space.

Concerns about overdevelopment

The Conservation Advisory Group says it’s an overdevelopment while Historic England is concerned about the loss of 2-4 South Parade.

It says: “The loss would erode the distinctive character that makes Kelham such a unique and celebrated neighbourhood.

“These smaller works were interspersed with pubs, housing and chapels. Their differentiation from larger scale industrial works is a key part of the conservation area and forms an important part of the significance of this designated area.

“The survival of these buildings today provides an increasingly rare glimpse into the daily lives of the 19th century industrial communities which once thrived within Kelham.

“The new building is of substantially greater scale and massing and would introduce a cumbersome building of discordant proportions into a sensitive historical location.

“Such a building would unnecessarily dominate the existing historic street scene and erode an important part of the character and appearance of the conservation area.”

Planners say Kelham Island and Neepsend continue to transition towards being more residential.

They say while the loss of the traditional buildings is “unfortunate”, the impact on the conservation area and heritage assets is acceptable.

They add that the impact on the amenities of existing neighbours and the living conditions provided for future occupiers would also be acceptable.

“The impact on heritage assets is of less than substantial harm and that the public benefits outweigh this harm. Any adverse impacts of granting planning permission in this case would not outweigh the identified benefits.”

They are advising councillors to approve the development at a meeting on Tuesday, October 19.