Latest news with #studenthousing
BBC News
10 hours ago
- Business
- BBC News
Worcester land flagged for student housing up for sale
Land earmarked for a controversial student housing scheme has been put up for sale, sparking suggestions it may not go to demolish St Clement's Church Hall, off Henwick Road in Worcester, and build 54 student flats were approved by the city council in 2023 despite local church hall and land around it is now up for sale with Savills, which is advertising the plot as a "consented student development opportunity".The estate agent is asking for offers for the freehold of the site by 31 July. Before the initial plans were approved, people living nearby and local councillors had described the scheme as a "substantial overdevelopment" which would overshadow existing sheltered housing schemes in the also raised concerns about "generational conflict" between students and elderly residents. Richard Udall, a local Labour councillor, said he was not surprised the plot was up for sale."The proposal was going to be very difficult for anyone to achieve," he said. "The area is very tight and the restrictions imposed would make construction very difficult."The planning conditions also required the developer to fund a pedestrian crossing on Henwick Road and to ensure the building is staffed 24 hours, seven days a week."The developers have clearly decided the scheme is not viable."He added that "virtually the entire local community" was against the plans and suggested the site would be better suited to community said the 54 student beds in the development would be in clusters of three, four and five-bedroom apartments, with facilities such as an indoor cycle store, laundry, bin store and reception on the ground attached to the planning approval mean the developer would need to pay Worcester City Council £87,500 in Section 106 contributions, which would help fund infrastructure and community projects. This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, which covers councils and other public service organisations. Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Irish Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Locals oppose development plans for Dublin 6 site
River Dodder anglers and local residents are opposing plans by a Bain Capital backed firm to build student housing at the former Smurfit Paper Mills site at Clonskeagh in Dublin 6. In the planning application lodged with Dublin City Council, Bain Capital vehicle, Harley Issuer DAC is seeking planning permission for the 439 bed spaces across five blocks from one storey to part seven storeys along with 16 residential apartments. The Large Scale Residential Development (LRD) – located 1km northnorthwestCD's main campus at Belfield - also includes–the extension and renovation of 14 existing homes at Clonskeagh Road. In an accompanying planning report by consultants, John Spain, it states that 'the scale of the proposed development is considered to integrate appropriately with its surroundings, whilst introducing increased height'. READ MORE [ Irish universities earned more than €830m from student housing since 2015 Opens in new window ] However, in an objection against the scheme, the Dodder Anglers Association, which represents more than 1,300 members, states that it is very concerned the proposals 'could damage the biodiversity of River Dodder green/blue corridor and are in breach with Dublin city councils biodiversity action plan as well as the EU habitats direct and water Framework Directive'. On behalf of the Eglinton Residents Association, Robin Mandal has hit out at what he believes to be 'a proposed gross over-development of this sensitive site'. Mr Mandal said: 'we believe that the proposed development would constitute over-development of the site by virtue of its height, scale, bulk and massing at this sensitive and highly visible and sensitive site on the banks of the River Dodder Mr Mandal contends that the student scheme's 'impact on the biodiversity and flora and fauna of the riparian setting will be profound, obliterating much of value'. Mr Mandal said that the former Smurfit Paper Mills site 'has remained vacant and unused for more than 20 years'. Chairwoman of the Richview Residents Association, Marion Cashman said: 'There have been seven planning applications on this site over 20 years. The number of units proposed ranged from 130 units in 2005 to the now proposed 440 student bedspaces and 30 residences. Ms Cashman said: 'The current proposal is an overdevelopment of the site and would set an undesirable and unacceptable precedent for this sensitive location on the river Dodder and other such sites.' The market for student accommodation provision in south Dublin is a lucrative one with University College Dublin (UCD) generating €42.8 million in 'rental income from student residences on campus' in the 12 months to the end of September last.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
amber Launches First-Ever Global Student Housing Fest
PUNE, India, June 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- amber, a global student housing solutions provider, has launched the industry's first-ever global 'amber Student Housing Fest', live from June 15 to June 30, 2025. This fest aims to help students book their accommodation early, while securing massive savings with limited-time offers, exclusively available on amber's platform during the fest. This first-of-its-kind fest is designed to offer maximum benefits for students moving to the UK/Ireland, Australia, US, Canada, New Zealand, Germany, France and Spain. Students will get access to limited-time, amber-exclusive offers including a cashback of over £300, and unmissable deals like laundry vouchers, free transport card, free airport pickup, and other lifestyle offers, worth up to £1000 in combined value. Founded in 2017 by Saurabh Goel and Madhur Gujar, amber is a leading global student accommodation platform headquartered in Pune, India. With 1M+ beds listed and a presence across 7 countries, amber helps students from 150+ nationalities book long-term housing securely in top study destinations. "We're launching the industry's first-ever student housing fest. The idea came from wanting to help students get maximum savings and avoid price hikes near move-in months like August & September, especially in the UK region. Our focus during the fest is to provide students access to exclusive, limited-time deals that offer maximum value when they book a home from a variety of verified student housing listings on amber, spread across world's top study destinations," says Madhur Gujar, CBO & Co-Founder, amber. Various top operators have signed up for the fest. During the fest, amber's extensive network of over 1,000 strategic global education consultation firms will actively engage with more than 200,000 international students, highlighting the benefits of early bookings. About amber: Founded in 2017 by IIT Kharagpur graduates Saurabh Goel and Madhur Gujar, amber was born out of the necessity to streamline the intricate process of locating student accommodations abroad. Since its inception, amber has experienced remarkable growth and evolution. With a $21 million funding boost, amber expanded into multiple new markets while doubling down on product innovation and growth optimisation. Today, amber stands as a leading global student housing platform—partnering with PBSAs, universities, and education consultancies worldwide. The platform hosts over 2 million verified student housing listings across 140+ cities, 25+ countries, and 6 global regions. Photo: View original content to download multimedia: Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Irish Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Minister wants exemptions to new rent rules to be considered for students sharing houses
Exemptions to rent rules agreed by Government last week should be considered for student house-shares, Minister for Higher Education James Lawless has indicated. A spokesman for the Kildare North TD said one option under examination would prevent landlords from hiking rents in these properties at the same rate as the wider market. In addition to protections for purpose-built student accommodation , Mr Lawless believes a particular policy for houses shared by students should be added on to reforms to the rental market agreed by the Government last week. He said students should not be 'inadvertently disadvantaged' by the new rules. READ MORE In a sign that Ministers are already looking to carve out exemptions from the changed regime, a spokesman for Mr Lawless said reforms to encourage housing supply should protect renters such as students who have 'particular and unique circumstances'. The reforms were criticised as they would see existing properties rented by people who move regularly – such as students – subjected to more frequent rent reviews. Landlords will be permitted to reset their asking price to the market rate if a tenant voluntarily exits a lease signed after next March early, or every six years otherwise. [ Rent changes: How will tenants be impacted by the plans for Ireland's rental market? Opens in new window ] As many students leave their accommodation at the end of an academic term, this would mean the rent for the property could be reset to market rates at that stage. Officials in Mr Lawless's department and the Department of Housing have been asked to explore a 'targeted solution' for students, the spokesman said. 'Some options could include a designated 'student tenancy' category which may function in the same way as current RPZs with rent levels tied to a property as opposed to a tenancy,' he added. Under the current rent pressure zone (RPZ) system, rent can move up by only 2 per cent annually or in line with inflation - whichever is lower. It is expected that purpose-built student accommodation will be exempted from the changes, but housing in residential areas, which is often let to students during term time, may need extra protections, the Minister's spokesman indicated. Restrictions on rent resets when students voluntarily vacate accommodation at the end of the academic year could also be explored, the spokesman added. It is understood that other options could see more conditions put on the resetting of rents dependent on investment in a property. 'While the RPZ reforms are designed to strengthen protections across the board, we must ensure that students are not inadvertently disadvantaged by the new structure,' the spokesman added. 'The Government's intention is to protect tenants while encouraging new supply. Students, as a high-turnover group, must be explicitly considered in this balance.' With the Opposition continuing to criticise the Government's latest rental market policies, it is expected that legislation to extend RPZs nationally will come before Cabinet this week.
South China Morning Post
6 days ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong rent surges as demand from mainland Chinese students, professionals soar
Wang Ruoshuo, a 21-year-old student from Hefei, the capital of central Anhui province, is searching for a flat in Hung Hom in southern Kowloon, which is close to her university and the company where she interns. As a first-time renter, however, she has been taken aback by the high prices. Wang and her friends are looking for a two-bedroom unit, budgeting about HK$7,000 to HK$8,000 (US$892 to US$1,019) per person. 'But when we began our search, we found that properties meeting our criteria would cost each of us around HK$10,000,' she said. Wang is not alone in facing a rental challenge. Fuelled by the ongoing demand from mainland students studying in Hong Kong and the influx of workers lured by the city's various talent schemes , , rents were expected to continue to spike, according to analysts and property agent. 'Over 120,000 professionals and university students have already arrived in Hong Kong, contributing significantly to the local residential rental market,' said Martin Wong, senior director and head of research and consultancy for Greater China at Knight Frank. The Hung Hom neighbourhood. Photo: Sam Tsang The Centa-City Rental Index, compiled by Centaline Property Agency, saw its biggest jump in nine months in May, as residential rents rose 1.79 per cent in the first five months of the year.
