A CITY centre building could be demolished to make way for a 17-storey student housing development which would be visible for miles around.
Plans have been submitted to knock down Mayflower House, on the corner of Mayflower Street and Armada Way, and replace it with 14 floors of student accommodation, along with retail space on the lower floors.
The striking new building would feature a 'sky lounge' with panoramic views across the city, and would be visible from the Hoe and Mount Batten.
It would sit alongside Beckley Court, a 22-storey skyscraper which will be Plymouth's tallest building when it is complete, in a block known as 'the northern triangle'.
A statement accompanying the planning application from developers Guildhouse UK says: "The designs proposed in this document are to replace the existing building with a student accommodation scheme in response to the growing need for good quality student accommodation at the adjacent Plymouth University campus.
"There is clearly potential on the Mayflower House site for building a tall building which enhances the skyline of this area of the city, while being respectful to adjacent buildings and Armada Way."
Mayflower House is currently a five storey office building which was constructed in the 1950s.
An employment viability report, submitted with the plans, says the building is "outdated in terms of modern office accommodation" and that "refurbishment is not viable".
The residential floors of the building would contain 528 student bedrooms, a mixture of eight-bedroom flats and individual studio apartments.
Members of the public can have their say on the plans during a consultation period which runs until October 13, and a decision could then be made by a single officer under 'delegated powers'.
The Mayflower House scheme is the latest in a series of applications for student housing in the city.
Beckley Court will become Plymouth's tallest building when it opens at the northern end of Armada Way, providing more than 500 rooms.
The £16million two tower Crescent Point project is currently being constructed in Notte Street by Concierge 35 Ltd and will contain nearly 350 rooms.
Hampton Cottages in Regent Street will add another 193 rooms, accommodating 39 students, while The Royal building at St Andrew's Cross is having its upper floors converted into 75 student flats and Tamar House on the other side of the road is having similar work done to create 130 studio apartments.
Speaking to The Herald last month, Labour's housing spokesman Cllr Chris Penberthy said the city must address its shortage of student living space.
"In most other cities, 30 to 40 per cent of students will be living in halls," he said. "We have nowhere near that amount of purpose-built halls in Plymouth.
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