Student and flats jobs shoring up regional city workloads

Aaron Morby 9 months ago
Share

Residential and purpose-built student housing-led projects are supporting construction activity across the UK’s four major regional cities.

According to the Deloitte Regional Crane Surveys, flats and student room projects are helping to offset the project slowdown in the central areas of Belfast, Birmingham, Leeds, and Manchester.

Development activity remained strong in 2023 with the four cities collectively recording 63 new construction starts, although this was still down from 74 in 2022.

John Cooper, partner in real assets advisory at Deloitte, said: “Residential development is currently leading the way with 87 residential schemes recorded as under construction, 28 of which broke ground in 2023.

“While Manchester has been a trailblazer for city centre residential development in recent years, all regional cities are now following this trend.

“Belfast City Centre, for example, has seen a ten-fold increase in activity with over 950 homes now under construction in the city centre, a real step forward. Birmingham also had a very strong year recording a 36% increase in city centre residential under construction.”

Jennifer Chatfield, senior planner in the real estate team at Deloitte, added student schemes were also on the rise.

She said: “In total we recorded 8,193 purpose-built student accommodation bedspaces under construction – a 40% increase from our last survey. The growth was particularly evident in Birmingham, with a 15-fold increase in student bed spaces under construction from around 100 in 2022, to over 1,500 in 2023.

“Similarly in Manchester, three new student residential schemes started last year, representing 2,153 bed spaces – the highest number in this survey’s 24-year history.”

Meanwhile, across the four cities 3.4m sq. ft. of office floorspace was under construction last year. Manchester reported the largest share of space under construction with 2.2m sq. ft while Leeds saw the highest volume of floorspace delivered to market – hitting an all-time high with nearly 700,000 sq. ft. of office floorspace across three schemes.

 

Latest news

Skanska signs £197m deal for Mayfair offices job

South Molton job consists of two big office buildings
19 hours ago

Cost of fixing unsafe cladding soars to over £16bn

Watchdog urges new 'hard target date' to complete all recladding works
20 hours ago

Scottish Water opens bidding on £800m framework

Innovative ceramic membrane water treatment works programme
20 hours ago

Carbon capture concrete hits London sites

Neustark and Aggregate Industries launch new technology to UK market
19 hours ago

Six win £300m cladding retrofit deal

Major social landlord Riverside Group to reclad 22 towers
20 hours ago

Winchmore lands brickwork package on Graham £80m academy

Alkerden Academy is one of the largest schools to be built in the region
20 hours ago

Construction firms blast “true cost of Budget”

Firms fear tax hikes will lead to reduced hours and job cuts for staff
4 days ago

Steel bridge specialist sold to staff

Nusteel Structures Group becomes industry's latest Employee Owned Trust
4 days ago

Ex-Lendlease chief to lead Euston housing regeneration

Bek Seeley to head Euston Housing Delivery Group
4 days ago

Ardmore lands Kensington hotel revamp

Contractor to transform former Kensington Holiday Inn
4 days ago

RED wins £35m brace of projects in Bristol

Works include student halls and major facade fire safety remediation
4 days ago

Wates starts £300m Gartree super prison job

Early works start on 1,700-prison place job next to existing prison
5 days ago

Five road schemes worth £1.3bn axed

Still no decision on £1.5bn A66 upgrade or £9bn Lower Thames Crossing
5 days ago

Budget: Chancellor to fund HS2 tunnels to Euston

Schools and hospitals get extra £1.85bn cash injection to tackle work backlog
6 days ago

Skills card changes will mean fewer labourers

CSCS wants to cut the numbers with 500,000 labourer cards currently in circulation
5 days ago

Wates hires former ISG fit-out chief to lead new team

Lee Phillips to head up new London office fit-out arm
6 days ago

Major London offices to student rooms scheme approved

65 Fleet Street office block to be converted to 850-student rooms
5 days ago

M Group Services buys MEICA contractor BGEN

Warrington-based engineering contractor employs 1500 staff
5 days ago

VINCI Construction swoops for FM Conway

Conway family sells £580m turnover Kent-based highways contractor
6 days ago

United Living bolts on property upkeep firm Pilon

Deal to buy £40m turnover social housing property services contractor
6 days ago

Sheffield facade specialist bought by Swedish firm

Building envelope giant Fasadgruppen makes first UK acquisition
6 days ago

Nexus buys Coleman Construction & Utilities for £5.4m

Nexus moves into civils with acquisition of East Sussex contractor
6 days ago

Councils get £68m to clear brownfield sites

Site renovation work will clear way for 5,200 new homes
6 days ago

Private investor buys Midlands contractor MCS

Deal values £100m revenue building contractor at £22m
6 days ago

Willmott Dixon to build Oxford net zero council HQ

Work to start next year on net zero office upgrade as Old County Hall sold off
6 days ago

Phoenix subbies get pay less notices after ISG failure

Building services specialist tells suppliers they won't be getting paid
7 days ago

Midgard confirmed on £60m Golden Lane office contract

Main works will create 120,000 sq ft of prime office space on historic site
7 days ago

Van Elle buys Scottish specialist Albion Drilling for £3.5m

Acquisition builds capability in Scotland's booming energy sector
7 days ago

French PM and cost consultant Artelia buys Pick Everard

Artelia UK operations swell to nearly 1000 staff after bolting on UK consultant
7 days ago

Go-ahead for West London 58-storey resi skyscraper

North Acton scheme at Old Oak Common to form gateway to emerging cluster
1 week ago

Contractor services