UK & Ireland

Student Castle is growing with an additional 21 properties, further strengthening our platform and reinforcing our commitment to delivering best-in-class student living experiences.

Derry City and Strabane District Council approved 281 new student rooms with communal spaces, supporting Ulster University’s plan to grow its Derry campus from 6,500 to 10,000 students by 2032, aiming to enhance the student experience and local infrastructure.

Joint venture partners HUB, Bridges Fund Management, and Housing Growth Partnership have appointed Fresh to operate the 604-bed Mantle Yard PBSA scheme in Leith, Edinburgh, targeting completion for the 2027/28 academic year.

Demand for student accommodation in Dublin is projected to rise from 54,000 to approximately 64,000 places, driving continued upward pressure on rents despite recent government measures to improve accommodation viability and reduce VAT for buyers and developers.

A 282-bed purpose-built student accommodation scheme in Bristol’s Redcliffe district has received planning consent, involving the demolition of a vacant office building and the construction of two 10-storey and one nine-storey wings designed by Alec French Architects.

The Elephant, a new £500 million town centre replacing the former Elephant and Castle Shopping Centre, will open later this year with around 50 shops, restaurants, and bars, anchored by a large M&S with a market-style food store.

Whitebox Developments will begin construction on a €300 million, 1,400-bed student accommodation project in Groody, Limerick, before the end of June, marking the largest such scheme outside Dublin.

Redford Developments has submitted plans to Coventry City Council to build a 400-bed purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) on a former builders’ yard near the University of Warwick, with planning officers recommending approval despite over 100 objections citing concerns over oversupply and local impact.

Singapore's Mapletree is reportedly liquidating its $1.3 billion student housing private fund targeting purpose-built US and UK assets.

The National Student Accommodation Strategy 2026-2035 aims to address a projected need for 42,000 new student beds, including an existing deficit of 15,000, by activating supply through Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA), Rent-a-Room options, and phased delivery starting in major cities from 2026.