PLANS to convert a former warehouse near Hereford Cathedral into rooms for the city’s growing student population have been passed – despite claims these would be ‘cell-like.

The three-storey, 19th-century brick building at 26-28 Aubrey Street currently houses a barber shop but is otherwise vacant, according to the planning application by Manbro Developments, local specialists in repurposing old buildings.

This proposed four bedrooms on the ground floor, ten on the first and eight on the second floor, each with its own bike space to the rear, along with new bathrooms, kitchens and recreation areas including a cinema room.

Hereford Civic Society said: “It was disappointing to see a scheme that tries to crowd the building with many small, separate ‘cell-like rooms’ without en-suite bathrooms, in contrast to other recent student halls in the city.”

Manbro’s application was accompanied by a supporting letter from New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering, however the civic society accused NMITE of being ‘derelict in its duties towards future students’ by not setting out the standard of accommodation it would be prepared to offer them.

An NMITE spokesperson said the institute was unable to comment on this.

Herefordshire Council’s housing environmental health officer did not object to the plans but suggested conditions on ventilation, heating and fire safety in the property, should be included as part of any planning permission.

Planning officer Josh Bailey pointed out that the proposed rooms met national and the council’s own size standards and welcomed the ‘highly sustainable location’ of the building, which could be turned into regular housing if needed later.

“Purpose-built student accommodation also has the positive social benefit of reducing demand for houses of multiple occupation, enabling them to be returned to family homes,” he added. Full planning permission was granted.