Student housing schemes are taking shape in Chester.

Three student blocks are shooting up next to Telford’s Warehouse in the Garden Quarter.

Watkin Jones is building the scheme which received the green light from an inspector after appealing a Cheshire West and Chester Council decision to reject the project.

But fears remain around the anti-social behaviour that may result as well concerns it could change the nature of popular music venue Telford’s Warehouse.

Student accommodation being built at Tower Wharf next to Telford's Warehouse.

Telford’s owner Jez Horrill argued against the plan but is philosophical. As far as the venue is concerned he says it’s ‘business as usual’ with no prospect of any cheap student deals.

“I think it’s an opportunity now to embrace potential new business,” he recently told The Chronicle.

There have been favourable comments about the design of a 117-bed student accommodation scheme in Upper Northgate Street which will be ready for the autumn term.

And a 121-bed student accommodation complex in Trafford Street, Newtown, is also nearing completion.

Student housing being constructed in Trafford Street, Newtown.

Meanwhile, Cheshire Fire Authority is selling the next door Chester Fire Station as part of a deal that will see a new station built nearby. One rumour suggests developers may be interested in creating more student accommodation, possibly incorporating the fire station underneath.

There’s still no news on when construction will begin on the massive 550-bed student complex on Linenhall car park but it is expected to commence soon.

And a contentious planning application concerning a six storey student accommodation scheme in Hunter Street could be back on the agenda even though it was rejected by councillors sitting on CWaC’s planning committee in April.

An artist's impression of what the proposed 77-bed student block would look like off Hunter Street as seen from the ring road.

Members voted against the advice of the council planning department who supported the scheme even though it was described by Chester Civic Trust as ‘oversized, brutal and ugly’.

And now an appeal has now been lodged by Hunter Street Chester Ltd with the outcome awaited.

In a related controversy, Chester Community Voice has condemned CWaC planning department’s inclusion of the Hunter Street scheme in their computer generated images of the proposed Northgate Development even though it does not have planning permission.

A CGI for the Northgate Development showing the controversial Hunter Street student accommodation scheme on the far left even though it has never had planning consent.

General secretary Reg Barritt said its inclusion ‘betrayed unrepresentative and prejudiced thinking’ although CWaC said it was ‘standard practice’ to show proposed neighbouring developments.

He continued: “The adopted Local Plan Part One seeks to deliver mixed and affordable housing to cater for families, workers, and the elderly in Chester and actually makes no commitment to developing student accommodation in the city, yet this council’s officers if not councillors persist in defying its own adopted policy in not only approving but actually supporting doing the exact opposite in failing to deliver what it has committed to while allowing here there and everywhere this student accommodation development it has not. An utter disgrace.”