PERMISSION is being sought to build a four-storey student block in the centre of Winton.

Alright 2 Limited has submitted plans to develop the site above and behind Specsavers off Wimborne Road into 24 studio flats.

If approved by BCP Council, the scheme would involve the conversion and extension of the existing building and the construction of a new one.

Submitted earlier this month, the application seeks permission to create 14 studio units alongside 10 single bedrooms in shared apartments.

It would mostly take up space which previously housed a now-demolished building.

A statement submitted on behalf of the developer by Pure Town Planning says the scheme can be justified by information provided by the council.

“Prior to the present application, pre-application advice was sought from the council in respect of a similar proposal for 22 studio apartments,” it says.

“This established that there was no in-principle objection to a high density residential scheme for students in this location.

“Some of the concerns of the council, particularly lack of on-site car parking, arose from their treating the proposal as standard residential accommodation rather than managed student accommodation.

“Since the pre-application advice, the proposal has been modified in order to improve the outlook and privacy of all units.”

The amended scheme also includes the provision of a small courtyard behind the building.

The Specsavers store would be unchanged by the development.

No parking spaces would be provided on the site with a transport statement submitted with the application saying it would create safety issues.

Council planning officers will consider the application in the coming weeks.