UK & Ireland

Three major schemes received Gateway 2 approval, enabling construction to begin on 664 new build-to-rent apartments and student beds across Bristol, Manchester, and London, expanding Gateway 2’s total to 15 projects under the Building Safety Act regime.

Colby River has strengthened its student living division by appointing Seth Clifford-Banks as senior asset manager to lead PBSA asset management and Matt James as head of student operations to oversee property management.

The University of Manchester has secured financial close on a £530m redevelopment of its Fallowfield campus, delivering 3,300 Passivhaus-certified student rooms across a 50-year partnership with Equitix, GRAHAM, and Rothesay, aiming to open the first 1,000 rooms by 2028.

Developer Tribe has submitted plans for two high-rise towers on Greenwich Peninsula, delivering 673 purpose-built student bedrooms, 380 co-living homes, and 80 affordable units, addressing local housing demand near the Silvertown Tunnel.

ASK4 has acquired IMS connect, an Ireland-based provider of managed WiFi and guest technology for hospitality and serviced living, expanding ASK4’s capabilities into long-stay hospitality and serviced accommodation across its 13 European markets, with a strengthened presence in Ireland.

St John’s College received approval from Cambridge City Council to demolish the 147-room Wolfson Court and replace it with a 408-room student accommodation block serving its own students and those from Newnham College, Lucy Cavendish College, and the Sir Isaac Newton Institute, despite local objections over scale and use.

The Draft London Plan sets borough-level targets for purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) for the first time, aiming to integrate PBSA into London’s housing strategy and support university growth while easing pressure on the private rented sector.

The University of Newcastle has moved a step closer to delivering more affordable housing for students, appointing Hansen Yuncken as principal contractor for a new 450-bed accommodation development at Callaghan Campus.

Graphene Funding has appointed David Stokoe as senior relationship director, expanding its team to support funding deals between £2m and £100m; Stokoe joins from Cynergy Bank, where he specialised in facilities up to £50m.

Lanehunt Ltd has submitted a planning application for up to 350 student bed spaces in Limerick City, involving partial demolition of the former Tait Centre and construction of a six to eight-storey building with 51 apartments and communal facilities including a gym, café, cinema, and study rooms.