Cambridge City Council has denied Wolfson College’s request to convert a house into student accommodation.

In its application, the College claimed to have an urgent need for more student accommodation. Wolfson said it has a growing undergraduate and postgraduate student population, and has been unable to accommodate a “substantial” number of students in recent years.

The College reported that in 2024/2025, they were unable to grant accommodation to 179 full-time students. Similarly, in 2023/24, 231 full-time students did not receive accommodation. In 2022/23, 241 full-time students did not receive accommodation.

Wolfson stated that as Cambridge’s rental market lacks “affordability, stability and often proximity to campus,” their plan to convert 40 Barton Rd into student accommodation would help meet student needs.

In Cambridge, the average overall monthly rent was £1,763 as of March 2025, which exceeds the national average by over £400.

“Providing dedicated student accommodation within a five-minute walk for the main College campus represents a practical solution to this problem,” Wolfson College stated.

“The College campus has limited available space and no opportunity for short-term solutions to accommodate more student accommodation on the campus. This results in the need for some off campus accommodation solutions to help meet some of the student accommodation needs.

“The acquisition of some properties to house students is a part of the solution, especially where there is a suitable property close to the College and of a size to house multiple students in one property,” they added.

Cambridge City Council rejected the College’s application, stating that the College has failed to demonstrate the “exceptional circumstances” that would justify turning 40 Barton Rd into a student accommodation.

In their rejection, the council also stated that the College had not provided sufficient support to warrant the “degradation of the housing stock”. Wolfson College is able to appeal the council’s decision within six months of the decision being issued.

The council stated that they intend to preserve housing in the city and prevent it from being lost to student accommodation. This report follows the council’s recent approval of 292 new homes to be built directly outside of Cambridge as a part of an ongoing development project.

The new development will eventually consist of up to 1,200 homes, along with a local centre, encompassing shops, a market square, a community hub, and allotments.