Belfast 1,000 bedroom 'Titanic Quarter Student Village' approved

CGI image of new student accommodation buildings approved east of Queen's Road
-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)


Belfast's largest ever purpose-built student accommodation scheme has been approved, comprising over 1,000 bedrooms in a four block building in the Titanic area of Belfast.

At the Belfast City Council Planning Committee on Tuesday evening, elected members approved the 'Titanic Quarter Student Village', a plan for a 1,007 bedroom purpose built managed student accommodation, consisting of 286 studio bedrooms and 721 'cluster rooms'.

The site will be on lands to the northeast of Olympic House, east of Queen’s Road and south of Belfast Metropolitan College, Belfast.

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The council planning report describes the application as the “erection of a purpose-built managed student accommodation development, with the additional use of accommodation by further or higher education institutions outside term time".

The four blocks of accommodation will range from five to nine storeys and there will be up to 35,850 square metres external floorspace.

On-site amenities will include a café, shared lounges, dining areas, games rooms, a cinema space, study spaces, launderettes and gyms, which the council said in a media statement “exceeds any operational, in-construction, or proposed purpose-built management student accommodation scheme in Belfast".

The statement adds the plan involves “a car-free scheme with highest sustainability standards in the city, including a BREEAM Excellent rating, rooftop solar panels, carbon-free heating using air source heat pumps and heat recovery units, rainwater recovery systems, and a green travel fund".

The plan involves a café, and associated communal facilities including landscaped courtyards, internal bin stores and cycle stores, solar panelling, disabled parking, new public realm provision, and the extension of Titanic Boulevard to form a new junction with Hamilton Road.

The applicant is Watkin Jones Group PLC and Lacuna Developments, of Parc Menai, Bangor, Wales. who are responsible for other student blocks in the city. The application was recommended for approval by council officers.

The council received no objections from statutory or non-statutory consultees. One letter of support was received.

Planning officers recommended the application for approval. The council report states: “The site is a sustainable location, with ease of access to/from Belfast City Centre via established walking, cycling and public transport connections. The application is supported by satisfactory evidence of need for the proposal.

“The proposed building is considered to be of a high-quality design, appropriate to its location, that will regenerate the land and be delivered as part of phase three of the Titanic Quarter Development Framework.”

The report states: “A sustainable transport fund of £150,000 is proposed as part of this scheme. The applicant proposed that in the first instance the fund would be used in conjunction with Translink.

“Translink has written to the council to state the £150,000 could include additional bus stops and/or enhanced services. The allocation of funds will be agreed prior to occupation and shall be utilised as per agreed terms until expended in full.”

It adds: “In addition, there is a proposed Belfast Bikes fund of £25,175 which will be used to provide Belfast Bikes membership to residents of the scheme until the fund is exhausted. A green travel plan is proposed to further encourage sustainable modes of transport.”

A representative for the developer told the Planning Committee: “This is a development with community, wellbeing and sustainability at its core. A perimeter block designed in the proposed scheme comprises a central courtyard of over 4,000 square metres in size. To put this in perspective it is the equivalent size of Moy Park, and 30 percent larger than Custom House Square.”

It is planned the scheme will create around 140 full time jobs during the construction phase.

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