Summary:
- MCR Property Group has acquired two former University of Hull student accommodation blocks, The Lawns and Ferens Hall in Cottingham, with plans for a multi-million-pound refurbishment and the addition of 90 new homes, aiming to reopen modern student housing by the next academic year.
- The University of Hull initially put the properties up for sale in 2021 due to shifting demand towards premium on-campus accommodation, after closing the 970-bed off-campus sites in 2019 and abandoning a 2023 proposal to convert them for asylum seeker housing following local opposition.
- Local authorities and residents express mixed views: Cottingham North councillor welcomes the return of student housing for its economic benefits but signals resistance to further housing development amid concerns over infrastructure strain, with no planning application yet submitted to East Riding of Yorkshire Council.
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