Cheltenham student rooms approved as temporary serviced apartments

UK: Cheltenham Borough Council has approved plans to use 205 student bedrooms within Pittville Student Village as serviced apartments.

Uliving@Gloucestershire Ltd, which owns and runs Pittville Student Village, a 791-bed accommodation for University of Gloucestershire students, applied to the council for temporary dual use of up to 205 bedrooms as either student accommodation or serviced accommodation.

Currently, there is a restriction that makes such accommodations only available students. However, many universities offer student rooms that would otherwise be empty for 12 weeks a year as temporary accommodation for contractors and short-term workers over the summer.

Since the original application in 2021, Pittville Student Village has finally been approved as serviced apartments for 18 months, from November 2026 to May 2028.

A cover letter from Plainview Planning to support the application said: “Due to the self-contained nature of the studio rooms and townhouses, the identified blocks lend themselves well to both student and non-student occupation simultaneously.”

It added: “In term time, the priority will always be that rooms will be let to students first. Only if rooms remain empty after student applications close, would letting the identified rooms to others take place.”

Tenants for the accommodation include those attending summer events or conferences run by the university or other local events, university staff or visiting staff from other educational institutions, students from other universities, people doing internships, placement or work experience, young professionals, as well as short-term corporate contractors, consultants and local employees.

The council’s approval was met with some local objections, mainly around parking and the effect on local infrastructure. Some also raised concerns for the safety of students when introducing unknown adults into their safe environment.

In making its decision, the council required that the buildings be restored to its former use on or before May 9, 2028.

It added that no serviced room or apartment should be let to anyone other than students or University of Gloucestershire staff for longer than 90 consecutive days in any 12-month period.

Highlights:

• Cheltenham Borough Council has approved plans to allow up to 205 bedrooms at Pittville Student Village to operate as serviced apartments for an 18-month trial period, from November 2026 to May 2028.
• Uliving@Gloucestershire Ltd, which owns and operates the 791-bed student accommodation development for University of Gloucestershire students, applied for permission to use selected bedrooms for both student and short-term, non-student accommodation.
• Student accommodation will remain the priority, with rooms only offered to non-student guests when they remain vacant after student applications close.
• Potential guests include university staff, visiting students, interns, young professionals, event attendees and short-term corporate contractors.
• The plans attracted local objections over parking, pressure on local infrastructure and concerns about student safety and the introduction of non-student guests into the accommodation.
• As a condition of approval, the development must return to student-only use by 9 May 2028. Individual serviced apartments cannot be let to non-students or people outside the permitted categories for more than 90 consecutive days in any 12-month period.