Year: 2010

A landmark tower dubbed the “Gateway” to Southampton is to become student flats after being hit by the banking crisis.

Developers now want to fill the proposed 13-storey building in Swaythling with 376 student rooms instead of the 81 apartments previously planned.

Southampton City Council had claimed the development on Parkville Road site on the junction of Stoneham Way and Thomas Lewis Way, would “transform the area” …

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This impressive scheme will comprise ten-storeys of student accommodation, with 172 bedrooms, 131 with individual en-suite shower pods, 41 with shared bathroom and shower facilities. The complex will be arranged in a number of clusters, with 46 individual studios with integrated kitchenettes. The ground and basement floors will provide 220 square metres of retail space, in addition to the reception, common areas and ancillary spaces for the student accommodation …

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As efforts continue to maximise tax revenues, fixtures and fittings bought for university digs will not qualify for tax breaks.

Under the new amendments, costs of communal area equipment in flats- such as kitchens or lounges – would be ineligible for offseting against a company’s taxable profits, a break currently allowed under the capital allowances regime.

However the taxman stopped short of withdrawing the capital allowances for en-suite facilities of individual student rooms …

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Broadcasting Place secured the prestigious award despite invoking a “love it or hate it” attitude due to its distinctive structure.

The building, which houses Leeds Metropolitan University’s Faculty of Arts, Environment and Technology, is made from weathering steel, which forms a rust-like appearance when exposed to weather …

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The Leadbitter Group has won the Best Partnership with a Local Authority award was for its work on one of Bournemouth’s largest new-build student accommodation schemes, Lyme Regis House. The £14 million project in Holdenhurst Road was opened in September 2009 and is now home to more than 400 Bournemouth University students.

The affordable housing scheme saw Leadbitter working in partnership with Borough of Poole Building Consultancy Services, Signpost Homes (part of Spectrum Housing Group), Saunders Architects and Dorset Fire & Rescue.

Part of the ongoing expansion of Bournemouth University, Lyme Regis House demonstrates Leadbitter’s growing reputation for expertise in higher education build projects and brings its delivery of student accommodation to more than 2,500 units over the last five years …

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The coalition government is cutting the higher education budget by 40%. But science, technology, engineering and maths – the Stem subjects – will be protected, as will the budget for scientific research.

The budget will be reduced from £7.1 billion to £4.2 billion (US$11.2 billion to US$6.6 billion) by 2014-15.

Universities UK president Steve Smith (above) said the cuts would mean the biggest change in the sector for more than 40 years and state funding would be withdrawn for teaching in many subjects. The arts and humanities appear to be the most vulnerable and there would be serious repercussions for British universities in the overseas market …

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Record numbers of Scots missed out on a university place this year, prompting calls for the Scottish Government to protect higher education from funding cuts.

Official figures show there was a 6.9% decline in the number of Scots going to Scottish universities in 2010 compared to the previous year, with figures falling from 27,194 to 25,307.

The decline comes at a time when applications are on the increase – up nearly 5% …

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A former brewery site in Edinburgh, which has lain derelict for over 5 years, could be transformed into a ‘cultural quarter’ for the city if plans submitted by Lloyds Banking Group are approved.

Lloyds delivered their plans for the Fountainside scheme on Tuesday, and according to the Group’s property director Paul Baker, the company plan to “work closely with Edinburgh City Council to help it move the project forward.” …

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A rusty-looking tower block in Leeds has been voted the best tall building in the world.

Broadcasting Place houses Leeds Metropolitan University’s Faculty of Arts, Environment and Technology.

The building is made from weathering steel, which forms a rust-like appearance when exposed to weather …

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The vice-chancellor of the University of Ulster said that the Browne review could lead to the privatistion of university education.

Professor Richard Barnett blamed the proposals on lobbying by a small group of what he described as “elitist” universities in England.

He said their agenda was that students pay more and that university education should “essentially be privatised” …

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