Student flats are the right choice for Jock’s Lodge - John McLellan

In a somewhat inflammatory and exaggerated report this week, Scotland’s top universities were accused of “profiteering” by exploiting overseas students with hugely expensive post-graduate courses.

It’s an odd charge to level at not-for-profit organisations, but they need to generate cash to cover costs when Scottish undergraduates don’t pay fees but demand for places is at an all-time high. In simple terms, more foreign fee-paying students mean more non-fee-paying Scottish school leavers can go to university.

As I’ve said here many times, foreign post-grads need places to stay, and in a city whose economy is increasingly reliant on higher education that means purpose-built student accommodation.

And as the city has declared war on short-term lets, such student blocks will be increasingly important during the tourist season.

A proposal for a new block in my old ward at Jock’s Lodge has encountered opposition from housing campaigners, and with 191 student rooms planned it’s a reasonable guess the site might take around 40 two-bed flats.

Yes, the city needs more affordable housing, but it needs to support the education and tourism sectors too.

The Jock’s Lodge plans include a bar and restaurant, and the proposal has been much improved since the initial concepts a year ago and it could bring much-needed enhancement to the difficult Smokey Brae corner.

In planning terms, there are not enough student flats in the area to breach the threshold so it will probably be recommended for approval when it goes before next week’s development management committee. The decision might be tight, but it should go through.