Residents want empty 'eyesore' flats knocked down

Residents living near a huge purple student block in Penryn abandoned three years ago without anyone ever living in it want demolished after bits of insulation and purple cladding started landing in their gardens.

Sondica, the company behind Studytel, said work was halted on the £40m project due to the contractor going into administration.

It added that the huge block's entire frame would have to be replaced due to building regulation changes.

Isle of Man-based Sondica contracted Caledonian Modular Ltd to build the flats, but work stopped in March 2022 after the construction company went into administration, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Planning permission was granted for the £40m, 528-unit Studytel student accommodation block on Kernick Industrial Estate in 2018.

Residents of the Trevance estate, which looks on to the back of what has been dubbed locally as the "Kernick carbuncle", said recent high winds brought insulation and cladding flying into their gardens.

One neighbour, who did not want to be named, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "It's disgusting – everybody here thinks it's the biggest eyesore going.

"We all believe it should come down as it's basically falling apart."

"There are 528 units which have been empty for three years, which could have been used by students or used to help during the housing crisis."

Jayne Kirkham, Labour MP for Truro and Falmouth, said she wanted to work with councils and the site developer "to try to get some movement on this site which has been an eyesore for a long time".

Green Party county councillor for Penryn Tamsyn Widdon, said: "It is utterly wrong that a building site next to a residential area can be abandoned like this, with building debris strewn about what once was a field used by local residents."

A spokesperson for Sondica told Cornwall Council it appreciated residents' concerns "as to the current state of the building and the seemingly 'apparent' lack of any re-start of the works".

The spokesperson added: "Studytel has significant monies invested in this project and remains committed to delivering an exemplar development at this location."

It said surveys had been needed and "significant rectification and remediation" was required.

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