Acting on behlaf of Crosslane Student Developments, part of the Crosslane Property Group, DPP has secured resolution to grant planning consentto deliver a £40M, 312-bed purpose-built student accommodation development in Swansea.
Completion of the scheme is due in time for the 2023/24 academic year. Prime Student Living, the award-winning student accommodation lettings and operational management arm of the Crosslane Property Group will be responsible for marketing, lettings, management and achieving full occupancy prior to practical completion.
Located in the city centre on The Strand, the new development is ideally positioned for students. The University of Wales Trinity St David is within easy walking distance and the location is equidistant between the two main campuses of Swansea University, with the Bay Campus to the East and Singleton Campus to the West, providing a convenient and appealing location for students attending either campus, with access via frequent bus services or off-road cycle lanes, encouraging students living there to walk, cycle or use public transport. A secure bicycle storage facility will also be provided, removing the need for student car ownership and preventing additional traffic and parking congestion.
The new purpose-built, high specification student accommodation scheme designed by Sadler Brown Architects will comprise of 312 self-contained en-suite studio apartments that will appeal to more mature students in later years of study and post-graduates. The building will include a range of high-quality communal facilities, including an onsite fully equipped gym, cinema, luxury private dining and entertaining kitchen facility, a study hub, student lounge and games area. A private outdoor courtyard will also provide external space for socialising, collaborative learning, eating, relaxing and general wellbeing. Students will have the benefit of superfast 100MB WiFi throughout the development to provide residents with a first-class experience.
The building has been designed with residential blocks in a L-shape, naturally creating a central private courtyard. The residential blocks will be stepped in height at different levels to help reduce the building’s overall appearance. Constructed to the highest architectural standards and BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) certified, the scheme will be designed and developed to meet high standards of sustainability and reduce ongoing operational running costs, including numerous ecological and environmentally conscious design features and construction methods.
Swansea’s student population is already over 30,000, having continued to increase ahead of the national average for several years, with particular growth from international students. As a result, the city has a significant shortfall of suitable accommodation for students which is failing to keep up with demand. The further supply of new high-quality, purpose-built student accommodation, such as this will help to meet this growing demand.
Peter Stienlet, Property Director at Crosslane, said:
“Crosslane is pleased to have successfully secured resolution to grant planning consentfor a new, high-quality, purpose-built student accommodation development on The Strand in Swansea. At 312 beds, the scheme will be a significant contribution to easing the supply/demand fundamentals which persist for student accommodation in the city, helping to free up private housing to rent by families and young professionals.
The development is ideally situated for students due to its convenient and appealing city centre position, immediately surrounded by retail, leisure, food and beverage amenities and within easy reach of the city’s University Campus locations both within the city centre, and to the East and West accessed via frequent bus services or off-road cycle lanes.
Crosslane is committed to ensuring the long-term success and integration of this project into the neighbourhood and looks forward to working with local businesses to encourage students to shop and eat out locally within the area.”
Commenting on the consent, Gareth Hooper, Director at DPP Planning, said:
“We are delighted to have secured this consent which will bring back into beneficial use a centrally located under-utilised site to create a high-quality student accommodation scheme which will further meet the needs of the growing student population in Swansea.”
Images Sadler Brown Architects
