Student Accommodation News (14/9/11)

Here you can find the latest UK student accommodation news headlines for the week ending the 14th September 2011:

Imperial Sells Accommodation Development

12th September 2011: Imperial College London has sold one of its largest halls of accommodation to property company LGP. The 556-room development was sold for £116million, but will be immediately leased back to the London university.

The halls, in Battersea, will now be leased to Imperial for 45 years, before the ownership reverts back to the university. It is the first time that such a deal has been done with student accommodation in London, though the idea may now be picked up by other top universities in the UK. A spokesman for LGP revealed that the location was key, explaining that "London remains the most attractive and therefore resilient destination for UK and International students".

The development consists mainly of studios designed specifically for postgraduates, and is used largely as accommodation for international students. Imperial is one of the top London universities, consistently coming in the top five in UK university ranking tables.

Bradford Opens ‘Greenest' Building in the World

12th September 2011: Newly opened student halls at the University of Bradford have been officially declared the most environmentally friendly building development in the WORLD. ‘The Green' has been given a BREEAM rating of 95.05%, which is the highest ever since this environmental rating standard was launched in 1990.

The 1,026-bed development (to be used as both UK and international student accommodation) has a number of features that help it stay ‘green'. There is a biodiversity pond which reuses rainwater, garden areas for students to plant their own vegetables and extensive recycling facilities. As well as this, water usage is reduced in showers and sinks, and students can see their energy consumption versus that of their neighbours' in real time.

Universities are starting to think more and more about the environmental impact of new halls they build, with Manchester student homes being just one example of this. Bradford, near the likes of Manchester and Sheffield, has a number of universities and colleges which attract students from all over the world.