Homerton College has made plans to convert a former Labour Club off Mill Road into 60 student flats.

Planning permission has already been granted for the currently vacant Romsey Labour Club to be converted into 43 student studio units. The application from the developer, GCR Private Equity, says the additional units “would not result in any significant, noticeable increase in footprint or bulk”.

A letter of support from the bursar of Homerton College to a GCR Private Equity representative cited Homerton being “one of the largest colleges in the University of Cambridge” as a reason for the need for more student accommodation.

According to the letter, the College has 675 postgraduate students, but “due to capacity constraints and our obligation to prioritise undergraduate accommodation, the majority […] must seek housing in the private rental market”.

The letter continued: “The shortage of mid-range, good-quality accommodation in Cambridge has become a significant strategic challenge for the College, particularly in relation to postgraduate recruitment and student wellbeing. The proposed Mill Road development, comprising of 60 self-contained studios, would provide accommodation that is well suited to the needs of our postgraduate community and would help to alleviate pressure on the wider local housing market.”

The Labour Club, built between 1925 and 1928, was used as a social centre for trade unions, cooperative societies and locals until 2014, when it began to be used by sports clubs and a charity shop.

The building was damaged by a fire in 2024, which was believed to have been deliberately started.

A Homerton student told Varsity that they “understand the concern brought about by the Labour Club being turned into a university asset rather than being restored as a social hub,” as it “sums up the tension between Cambridge University and the other communities within the city, and the disparity in resources and funding”. They also noted that “it is important to have distinct spaces in the city that are not affiliated with the University”.

They added: “At the same time, Cambridge is notoriously expensive, and navigating the private property market as a postgrad student is a further financial stress on top of the costs of continuing higher education – braving the internal ballot is scary enough!”

They cited the importance of the College “retaining the historical frontage and respecting the history of the club,” but said they believe that “investing in this space is better than letting it stand in a semi-derelict state”.

A spokesperson for Homerton told Varsity: “We currently offer on-campus accommodation to all our undergraduates because we want Homerton to be a real community. We would dearly love to house all postgraduates who need accommodation within the grounds too, but that is currently difficult.

“The problem many postgrads face is finding accommodation in a city where the rental market is difficult. As a result, we welcome more new student units being built.”