Aberdeen University against Northern Hotel student project.

The University of Aberdeen is challenging plans to renovate the former Northern Hotel into student accommodation due to concerns about the demand for such properties in the city.

The Northern Hotel, which closed its doors in 2022 due to escalating energy costs, is set for a transformation by developers Inspired Living LLP into 47 student flats.

According to a report by The Press & Journal, the University of Aberdeen is pushing back against the wave of private student developments in Aberdeen, highlighting a potential influx of 3,370 new student flats in the city.

In recent years, various Aberdeen hotels, including the Travelodge on Justice Mill Lane and the former Hilton Garden Inn on St Andrew Street, have been converted into student accommodation. The approval of plans for 383 student flats on the site of a derelict John Street pool hall last September further fueled this trend.

Plans for additional student accommodation developments on Union Street and Union Terrace are also in the works, aligning with the council’s goal of increasing residential presence in the city centre.

However, this surge in private student accommodation could pose challenges for Aberdeen and Robert Gordon universities, both of which offer a significant number of student apartments.

The University of Aberdeen has expressed reservations about the proposed conversion of the old TSB building on Union Terrace into 28 flats. The university has now turned its attention to the Northern Hotel project, situated just a few miles from its campus.

In a letter to the Aberdeen City Council, the university argues that the developers have not provided sufficient evidence to support the need for additional student accommodation. This objection contradicts a council study indicating that there is currently no shortage of student housing in Aberdeen.

While there may be a sufficient number of beds available from the universities, there is perceived to be a shortage of en-suite options for students in the city.

In response to these concerns, the developers behind the Northern Hotel redevelopment have submitted a detailed report outlining the accommodation needs in Aberdeen. Knight Frank’s City Market Report, released in late 2023, predicts a growing student population requiring specific types of flats in the future.