Shopping centre student housing plan approved

Plans to redevelop a city shopping centre with hundreds of student rooms, shops and public spaces have been approved.

The £58m scheme will transform Prince Bishops in Durham into a mixed-use retail, leisure and residential development, in what has been described as a "once-in-a-generation opportunity" to secure the city centre's future.

The student accommodation will be built above the shops and existing multi-storey car park, while 32 commercial units will also be created. The scheme could create 550 jobs, according to plans.

The revised plans, which were approved by Durham County Council's planning committee, also include a public square and improved views of the River Wear.

Developer Citrus Durham said the redevelopment would modernise an area labelled "outdated" by some residents and help attract more visitors back to the city centre.

Planning permission was initially granted in 2024 but was revised after plans for a 101-bedroom hotel were dropped.

Up to 504 rooms will now be provided in the new student accommodation, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

A pedestrian link bridge is also proposed to connect New Elvet Bridge with the new public square to improve accessibility throughout the city centre and Prince Bishops Place.

Citrus Durham said: "The development will better suit the existing and future needs of retail and leisure operators, broadening the mix and appeal of the high street and better responding to the challenging retail trading environment to once again drive footfall back to the shopping streets of Durham."

David Freeman, Liberal Democrat county councillor for the city centre, said the shopping centre's current financial model, which opened in 1998, is "unsustainable".

He added: "There will be a lot of disruption for the city centre, but in three years' time we will be in a better place, and we can have a thriving centre that has retailers offering niche shops that people are prepared to come to Durham and spend money in."

The student accommodation was also praised by council members in the hope it would ease pressure on the local housing market.

James Stephenson, Reform member for Shildon and Dene Valley, said: "Bringing students out of HMOs and into the PBSA (Prince Bishops Student Accommodation) is a good thing for the city and its housing."

Works to transform the site will start immediately, with physical construction scheduled to begin in 2027.

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