UK & Ireland

Provider of purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) – Unite Students – has announced the appointment of Amy Round as Group People Director.

YTL Developments said it has secured planning permission for 1,514 beds of student accommodation at Brabazon - the new 380-acre neighbourhood being built on the historic former Filton airfield in Bristol.

Thor Equities Group and Vesper Holdings have formed a joint venture student housing platform to be called Thor Vesper. The joint venture will be led by Managing Director of Student Accommodations, Christian Davis, who is based in Thor’s London office.

Watkin Jones Group and Fresh have partnered with Samsung Electronics (UK) Limited on an innovative long-term partnership. Samsung will provide a range of technologies for multiple projects and will offer exclusive discounts to Fresh residents.

Planning permission for Phase 2 of the scheme, to deliver 98 studio apartments, was unanimously backed by local councillors last month.

Investor-developer, Blacklight Capital Partners’ £60m Liverpool student accommodation project, Limelight, is nearing completion.

Councillors on the city council’s planning applications committee approved an application by Caledon Properties to demolish disused commercial buildings on the corner of Hutcheson Street and Trongate, and replace them with a part 11/ part-seven-storey, 173-bed student facility.

Alumrose, a joint venture between Melrose Capital and Alumno Group, has acquired a development site in Elephant and Castle, south London with permission for a 244-bed purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) scheme.

The lender, with a £6.8 billion loan book, announced its inaugural securitisation facility for development lending, unlocking additional finance needed for building projects. This will include experienced small and medium-sized regional developers undertaking housing schemes, student accommodation, care homes, social housing and mixed-use projects.

Plans to turn a former Glasgow nightclub into student accommodation have been revealed. Real estate investor CA Ventures has announced proposals to redevelop the Archaos site on Queen Street, which has lain empty since 2007.