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A brand new development of student apartments in Cardiff is already struggling to fill all its rooms.

The West Wing student development of 644 student rooms is due to open in September and so far around 100 rooms have been let.

Its developer is now the latest in the city to want to advertise its purpose-built student accommodation to non-students in a bid to get occupancy rates up.

Management company CRM is concerned that the development, built on the former west wing of Cardiff Royal Infirmary, will not be fully occupied by the next academic year.

It has applied for permission to advertise 166 of The West Wing's cluster rooms and 235 studios as non-student accommodation between September 14 this year and September 11, 2020 to get the building filled.

(Image: Collect unknown)

CRM has told Cardiff council students are being put off from taking rooms at The West Wing because the building work has not finished.

A statement on behalf of Mace Developments, which is behind The West Wing development, says: "Whilst current figures are encouraging, the management company (CRM) is aware that students do prefer to see a development completed in its entirety before agreeing to a tenancy.

"It is therefore considered that the development’s unfinished nature is somewhat of a barrier to achieving the desired number for the upcoming opening in September, with numbers posing something of a concern to CRM

at present."

It follows another huge student development being thrown into doubt over lack of demand.

DG1 Developments, which is behind a proposed eight-storey tower of 146 rooms in City Road, has told the council an "over-provision" of especially built private student accommodation in the city may mean the project is not worth building.

The company applied to Cardiff council for the right to use the tower block to house non-students but the application was refused. Planning Committee member Cllr Iona Gordon slammed the proposed development as "appalling".

The West Wing's developer has told Cardiff council the change of use would be flexible as the priority would remain for letting to students.

The non-student rooms would effectively act as hotel space as occupancy would be available for short-term uses, including daily or weekend use for events in the city.

The developer has said the temporary change of use "will ensure a higher overall occupation rate within the building, not only ensuring financial viability but also contributing to vitality and footfall levels in and around the development.

"Increased occupancy levels will make residents (both students and non students) feel safe and aware that they are staying in a lively and sought-after development.

"CRM confirm that accommodation will be allocated on a floor-by-floor basis . Non-students will not be allocated cluster room accommodation with student residents – they will not be mixed in tenure.

"Access can be limited to non-student occupiers to areas such as the gym, study area and bike store as they are unlikely to be used by non-student residents, giving further distinction between the lives of student and non-student occupiers and ensuring that the facilities that are essential to student life are protected."

The developer says changing the use of the rooms would not involve any external or physical works to prepare the building for non-student occupation.