A huge student block with impressive views of St Paul’s Cathedral has been given the green light.
The vast 644-room building in Holborn, complete with roof terrace, is a few minutes walk from the London School of Economics main campus.
The university is hoping to offer beds for 6,000 students over the next five years as part of the Government’s commitment to enrol 600,000 international scholars by 2030.
The residents will have access to an on-site cafe and bar, cinema room, music rooms, games area and gym.
There will also be space for members of the public to put on exhibitions and display artwork.
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The 12–storey building will have stunning views of St Paul’s Cathedral and there will be a roof terrace so members of the public to gaze over the city.
There will also be a pedestrian route through to City Thameslink station and the new Museum of London.
Alastair Moss, who is in charge of the City’s Planning Committee, said: “This high-quality scheme is a positive step in the Square Mile’s rapid recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.
“The addition of new student accommodation will mark another step toward the creation of a thriving 24/7 city and we look forward to welcoming students to this area, who we hope will be the business leaders and innovators of the future.
“We are thrilled at the ongoing confidence shown by world-class universities, developers and investors as we continue to strive to make the City of London ever-more sustainable and inclusive.”
The block will be car-free and have space for 536 bikes, including room for disability-friendly bikes.
There will be a parking space for blue badge holders and 64 wheelchair accessible rooms.
There will be a mixture of rooms on the site including cluster apartments, ensuite rooms and standard student dorms.
The new Museum of London may be developed on the former site of the famous Smithfield market.
Featured image by Dominvs Group
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