UK & Ireland

The government has announced it will ban student accommodation providers from enforcing minimum 51-week leases. The legislative change was introduced by Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris to ensure student lease agreements can be confined to the academic year.

Privately owned student accommodation developer and operator – Fusion Group – has appointed Laura Kurt as its first Commercial Director.

London property developer Olympian Homes has secured £150m from London finance firm Cain International to deliver 275 student flats at Rialto House in Fishergate, York, plus 660 student flats at Cirrus Point in Leeds.

A building of up to 28 storeys could soon be constructed in Cardiff, housing student accommodation and commercial space, with a recommendation to grant planning permission. Topland Mercury Ltd and Colico Living (Cardiff) Ltd are seeking full planning permission for the redevelopment of the Friary House site in Greyfriars Road, Cathays.

The plans would see all of the 99 hotel rooms used as student bedrooms, with en-suite bathrooms. The existing communal facilities, including a large dining hall, lounge, kitchen, function rooms and recreation space, would be available for the students.

Phase 4 of the £600m Hallsville Quarter regeneration has been designed by PRP Architects and involves building 375 purpose-built student accommodation rooms.

SCOTTISH Opera has submitted detailed designs for a major development at its site beside Glasgow’s canal, including multi-storey student accommodation blocks and rehearsal/performance and film facilities.

Plans have been submitted for the conversion of a vacant office building in Newcastle-under-Lyme to create almost 130 units of student accommodation.

Plans to construct a six-storey student accommodation building on a university campus in Nottingham have been given the go-ahead. The building at the University of Nottingham's Jubilee campus in Triumph Road will include 169 bedrooms, including 34 studio apartments.

Global property advisor Knight Frank has appointed Philipp Ueberschaer as EMEA Head of Occupier Strategy & Solutions.