Contractor wins three schemes across the north of England

Wates has bagged a hat-trick of major student halls projects across the cities of Manchester, Newcastle and York for client Select Property Group.

The contractor will deliver more than 1,700 student beds in total for the developer鈥檚 Vita Student brand. All are slated to complete by September next year.

The largest contract, worth 拢60.2m, will see the construction of 748 beds at one of Manchester鈥檚 biggest sites, Circle Square, a former BBC site on Oxford Road.

The second contract, valued at 拢47.7m, is for Select鈥檚 first student halls project in York, a 659-bed project across 15 three and four storey buildings at a 6.3 acre site. This includes the refurbishment of a former convent building and landscaped grounds.

Wates will also construct 331 beds at Select鈥檚 second Vita Student development in Newcastle, within a 拢23.8m ten-storey development at Strawberry Place near St James鈥 Park.

Select Property Group currently has a 4,500-unit pipeline overall in the north of England, under its Vita Student, CitySuites and Affinity Living brands.

Phil Harrison, Managing Director of Wates Construction Midlands and North, said: 鈥淭he buoyancy of the private residential market in the North is in part being driven by an increased appetite for premium student accommodation, a demand that Select Property Group is leading the way in addressing.鈥