Watkin Jones and Lacuna Developments have secured planning consent for the Titanic Quarter Student Village in Belfast.
The joint venture partners intend to deliver accommodation for 1,007 students on a currently vacant former industrial site in the heart of Belfast’s Innovation District.
In addition to offering a range of studio bedrooms and cluster flats, the BREEAM Excellent rated scheme will also feature a café, shared lounges, dining areas, games rooms, study spaces, launderettes and gyms.
George Dyer, group investment director at Watkin Jones, said: “We are pleased that Belfast City Council has approved the Titanic Quarter Student Village application. The scheme will help to address the growing need for PBSA accommodation in Belfast whilst supporting a sustainable and safe community for living, working, and leisure.
“Residents will benefit from excellent transport links which will be further enhanced through the green travel fund, proximity to the city centre, and nearby developments including Titanic Belfast, Odyssey SSE Arena, and Titanic Film Studios. Our proposals include a landscaped courtyard garden and amenities including gyms, common rooms, and recreation facilities, complementing the restaurants, cafés, bars, and park at this waterfront location.
“The Student Village is the second proposed investment in Titanic Quarter by the joint venture, having forward sold the Loft Lines, a BTR development, to Legal & General and Clanmil Housing last year. Through both projects we have collaborated closely with Titanic Quarter Limited and Belfast Harbour Commissioners, delivering part of its longer-term vision for Queen’s Island, regenerating a former industrial area into a sustainable place to live, study and play.”
Anthony Best, managing director of Lacuna Developments, added: “We believe that our Titanic Quarter Student Village offers students and academics from all institutions across the city a fresh choice for managed accommodation, in an exciting area of the city. We are responding to the very real demand from all our universities and higher education colleges for managed student accommodation. Belfast is a great city, with a growing knowledge economy that needs students and graduates living here to be successful.”
The scheme was designed by Belfast-based architects Todd architects and the joint venture partners were supported during the planning and engagement process by Turley.
