Year: 2009

Universities Partnerships Programme (UPP) has signed a £115 million deal with the University of Nottingham to provide 850 student bedrooms.

The deal, backed by Barclays, Royal Bank of Scotland and Bank of Scotland, reflects the appeal of student accommodation to investors and high street banks, who like the relative safety of returns to be earned from the growing number of people in higher education.

UPP, one of the country’s biggest providers of student housing, has hired Mansell, the contractor, to renovate existing accommodation to “provide students with affordable accommodation of a higher standard”. The accommodation, on the Broadgate Park campus, will be managed in partnership with Nottingham University until 2047, when full ownership will transfer back to the university. The arrangement should please students, who have come to expect little in the way of comfort from university rooms, as much as it will please UPP and the university …

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A Community is calling on the Government for greater planning protection to stop East Oxford turning into a student ghetto.

Homeowners in Magdalen Road are opposed to plans to build 44 student flats in the street.

Some residents say they feel under siege from late-night noise caused by the hundreds of undergraduates who live in the area …

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A new licensing scheme currently being considered in Wales could help to improve the quality of rented accommodation in Cardiff.

The South Wales Echo reported that a new consultation exercise is currently underway in the Welsh city. Under the proposals, all rental properties with three or more people living in them would require a licence as part of the Houses in Multiple Occupation scheme.

Councillor Ed Bridges commented that granting the government body additional licensing powers would benefit tenants in the Cathays area, which has a large proportion of shared student housing and may trial the programme …

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Hundreds of jobs are to be created as plans are unveiled for a multimillion-pound student village in the heart of Sunderland. 

University bosses say work will begin immediately on the 550-room student halls, bar and shops on the site of The Forge, in Pallion.

Ian Gray, director of estates and facilities at Sunderland University, said: “We are delighted to have secured this private sector investment in The Forge – U Student village.” …

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Manchester-based Opal Property Group has completed a £6.8m contract at the Sutton Bonington Campus of the University of Nottingham, to provide accommodation for 200 students.

The new buildings were constructed with a timber frame and include bathroom ‘pods’. The accommodation consists of tutor flats, studios and deluxe en-suite bedrooms.

Salford-based Ocon Construction, Opal’s sister company, was the main contractor on the scheme. Work began on site in July 2008 and Ocon completed the job in August 2009 …

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Merchant Place pays £32.5m for first phase of brewery redevelopment

Downing, the Liverpool-based developer, has secured forward-funding for the first phase of its £200m redevelopment of the former Scottish & Newcastle Brewery in Newcastle.

London and Newcastle-based Merchant Place Corporate Finance has agreed to pay £32.5m for the scheme near Newcastle United’s sportsdirect. com @ St James’ Park ground …

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The Unite group, the UK’s largest student accommodation landlord, has admitted it cannot explain why the company did not apply for a full HMO licence for a block of flats already being used in Scotland.

Tenants started moving in to the 81 flats, which are situated close to The Meadows in Edinburgh, two months ago but the oversight has only just been discovered.

However it is understood that the local authorities are unlikely to take action against Unite as the company, which claims it did open discussions on the subject in May, has now submitted a full HMO application …

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The University of Ulster’s multi-million pound plan to centralise in Belfast was in doubt today after the Employment and Learning Minister raised serious concerns over funding for the project.

In an interview with the Belfast Telegraph, Sir Reg Empey warned the UU that its intentions to expand the Belfast campus could run in to serious planning problems and that Government funding was not guaranteed.

We revealed UU’s shock plans to move the majority of its Jordanstown courses to the Belfast campus in the city’s Cathedral Quarter last December …

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Student accommodation developer and manager Unite has exchanged contracts to sell and lease back Unite House in Bristol to the M&G Secured Property Fund for £21.5m.

It has agreed the sale at a yield of 6.07% – which equates to a 55 basis point improvement on its June valuation of 6.62%.

Unite will take a 25-year lease and will continue to operate the 395 student bed property – providing M&G with £1.38m annual rent …

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AS MANY as 200 new homes could be built in an historic village after Keele University revealed plans to demolish its student halls there and sell off the land.

Keele residents today gave a mixed reaction, with some describing the proposals as a vital step in reinvigorating the area and providing much-needed houses for families and professionals.

But others accused the university of turning its back on the village. There are also fears it could jeopardise bus services in Keele, which rely heavily on student custom, and create more traffic congestion …

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