London mayor says 600-bed scheme would make “significant contribution” to capital’s student accommodation targets

Sadiq Khan has called in Make Architects’ plans for a 20-storey student accommodation scheme in Paddington two months after it was rejected for the second time by Westminster council.

The 605-bedroom proposals for Unite Students and Travis Perkins were thrown out by councillors in January due to its height, scale and impact on daylight on nearby residents.

This followed a previous refusal for a larger 768-home version of the job in 2022, which had itself been scaled back from the original 22-storey plan containing 843 homes.

Make Paddington 2

Aerial view of how Make’s plans for the building would look if built

But in a letter to Westminster council, Khan said the proposals would make a “significant contribution to the strategic student accommodation requirement identified in the London Plan”.

The mayor of London said the plans would also make a “positive contribution” towards the capital’s housing targets.

“As such, the non-delivery of 605 student bed spaces is considered to impact upon the implementation of the London Plan,” Khan said.

The move means the mayor will now act as the local planning authority for the scheme, with a public hearing to be held in the coming months.

The London Plan 2021 requires at least 3,500 purpose-built student accommodation bed spaces to be built each year to meet demand, with 35% of rooms to be let at affordable rent.

The application refused by Westminster in January had proposed 35% of the bedrooms as affordable. However, this has since been amended to 30% with 5% being provided as a payment in lieu of £3m towards the council’s affordable housing fund.

The scheme would see the demolition and replacement of an existing Travis Perkins branch on the canal-side site with student accommodation located above, along with a new canal path and public realm.

The site is located behind Paddington station and next to Fletcher Priest’s Brunel Building. 

The project team includes Gerald Eve on planning, Arup on transport, GIA on daylight, Tavernor Consultancy on heritage, Waterman on MEP, Meinhardt as structural and facade engineer, BDP as landscape architect and AtkinsRealis as principal designer.

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