As part of the plans to regenerate the area close to the Highcross Shopping Centre, the Leicester City
Council has granted planning permission in principle to pave way for new student housing buildings. The
area earmarked for the development, which is currently a traffic island in Leicester’s Waterside
regeneration area will be home to the latest block of flats consisting of 205 bedrooms.
The proposed eight-storey student accommodation includes a management suite, providing 24-hour onsite supervision and security, and has the following proposed mix of accommodation:
- Studios (four accessible) – 12
- Two bedroom apartments – 15
- Three bedroom apartments – 8
- Four bedroom accessible apartments – 1
- Five bedroom apartments – 15
- Six Bedroom apartments – 10
Communal space are included to promote sociability and active citizenship; these will be spread over two
floors, and are anticipated to include: - Student Hub;
- Gym;
- Dining Room;
- Games Room; and
- Cinema Room.
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The Woodgate Residents initially unanimously objected to the development citing concerns around
insufficient incorporation of sustainability features. Although the majority of residents seem to have been
pacified following concessions by the developers to review the project and make it more sustainable,
there are still objectors to the development who have since formed the Residents Against Waterside
Development (RAWD) with the sole purpose of ensuring the project is greener or dead (cancelled)! The
scale of the development, potential increase in traffic from residents’ cars, limited economic benefits, the
potential loss of trees and biodiversity and its overall limited green credentials are currently some of the
key sticking points for RAWD.
Following planning approval in principle being granted to the agent, the Developer Urbanite Ltd., are
keen to get the project off the ground to ensure fully rented student residences when the premises open
in September 2024.
Key Programme Features are described below: - The developers have secured an 18-months finance facility of £8.8 million from Paragon
Development Finance, approved for disbursement from March 2023, - The site is located in close proximity to Leicester’s Highcross Shopping Centre and the two
Universities in the City, - Although planning approval for the scheme has not yet been granted, planners are confident that
this will be secured. - The developer has a small but experienced internal team of professionals with technical
construction expertise typically providing oversight role and outsourcing design as well as the
construction functions, - Construction contractor(s) and such other specialists as are necessary to carry out the various
elements of construction work, - The scheme design, while sufficiently complete to obtain the necessary approvals, is not fully
complete and some detailed design work remains outstanding. The client is undecided as to
whether it should retain the local Architectural firm, WALTERS ARCHITECTS, to complete the
outstanding design or whether this work would be better carried out under a different
arrangement. - The client is eager to maximise return on investment by keeping construction costs down but
without compromising the high spec that has now come to be expected in student
accommodation. - The client also wants to ensure the scheme opens on time to avoid a tarnished reputation and
loss of profit experienced on a similar student residence scheme in Manchester, where they had
to postpone opening by one academic year. - Subject to successful completion of the Waterside Development, the developer recently received
approval for funding in principle, for the following student accommodation projects:
a. Sugarwell Court Development, Leeds, 130 bed scheme, £6.8 million; and
b. Exeter Heavitree Road Development, Exeter, 450 bed scheme, £15.2 million. - The developer is desperate for some innovation in the procurement process to ensure their
outcomes are not compromised. When briefing your company, the Urbanite Ltd presented the
consultants with the following requirements (in order of priority; most important, first):
a. Collaborative working by integrated team: greater innovation and improved
relationships across Client and Contractor teams and the rest of the supply chain.
b. Cost Certainty: The Client needed to know as early as possible, the most reliably
accurate estimation of the final outturn cost before deciding to “commit to construction”.
c. A short procurement duration: The client was very concerned about an early start and
an early finish. In addition, the client felt that once the decision to “commit to construct” is
reached the building must be completed to exacting standards in the shortest possible
time.
d. A high quality of finish is important: Apart from technical complexity, the facilities are
expected to be completed to exacting standards.
