Developers MRP have announced that planning consent has been secured for a 432-bedroom purpose built student accommodation scheme in Glasgow city centre, which has a GDV in the region of £85M and is expected to complete in time to welcome the 2026/27 student intake.
The Renfield Street development is located adjacent to the Maldron Hotel, which MRP previously developed and will complete the infill of this Broadway Central city block, which also includes the Tesco Bank office. The scheme comprises 432 studios of varying sizes, ranging from approximately 18 sqm to 40 sqm, with a class leading average weighted bedroom size of 21 sqm over 16 storeys. The building provides over 5 sqm of amenity space per bedroom, including exceptional spaces at ground and first floors, with a generous sky lounge and roof terrace offering views across Glasgow city and beyond. In addition, there are extensive external landscaped spaces at ground and first floor level.
The accommodation is designed to prioritise environmental sustainability, targeting BREEAM Excellent and an EPC A Rating, with the low energy approach exceeding Glasgow City Council’s energy efficiency standards by 20% (Gold Level) and exceeding the 20% renewable target set by Glasgow planning policy, achieved through a combination of measures which include air source heat pumps and high-performance building materials.
Construction by McAleer & Rushe is scheduled to commence in August 2024 with delivery in July 2026 ahead of the 2026/27 academic year student intake. Between MRP and McAleer & Rushe, they have delivered in excess of 11,500 purpose built student accommodation beds since entering the sector some 8 years ago and are considered one of the UK & Ireland’s leading student accommodation sector participants.
Commenting on the scheme Graham Mitchell, Development Director at MRP said:
“This approval follows a long period of positive and meaningful pre-application engagement with a variety of stakeholders, including local resident representatives and community councils.
Glasgow has a structural undersupply of student accommodation, and this project will provide 432 high quality studios in the heart of the city, offering easy access to numerous higher education establishments and enjoying all the amenities the city centre has to offer. The quality of this development, our sector experience and the proven delivery capabilities of MRP and McAleer & Rushe is evidenced by the strong interest our Agents at Savills have received from potential partners who wish to work with us on this project.”
