Contractor appointed for Liverpool student refresh
A partnership between the University of Liverpool and Kexgill Group has selected refurb contractor Rooms Group to deliver 237 rooms within the existing Mulberry Court complex off Oxford Street.
Work on the project is expected to begin next month, according to the university and Kexgill, which formed a £20m JV called UQ Partnerships last summer to bring existing student halls in Liverpool up to modern standards.
The partnership lodged plans for the first scheme, the redevelopment of a largely vacant cluster of student halls close to the city’s Metropolitan Cathedral, last September.
Chestnut and Vine House, Walnut House, Cypress House, and Porter Lodge would be modernised and reconfigured under the plans. The buildings range from four to six storeys and all date back to the late 1970s.
The development would feature 35 studios and 49 cluster flats, each with three to six bedrooms.
The university’s scheme would also see improvements to the buildings’ fabric to improve their sustainability credentials.
Richard Stott, joint managing director of Kexgill Group, said the formal approval of the JV marks “a defining moment for” the company.
“University partnerships have always been central to our long-term business plans. In an increasingly price-sensitive environment, structural alignment with university partners provides both affordability for students and income resilience,” he said.
“This is about more than strategy. It proves that a values-led, independent business can work in genuine partnership with a leading Russell Group university to deliver what truly matters: high quality, genuinely affordable, on-campus student accommodation.”
The University of Liverpool will be represented on the joint venture board by Nicola Davies, chief financial officer and David Furnival, group director of property and campus services and Matthew Clough, director of campus services.
Nicola Davies said: “We know that our students value high quality, affordable accommodation close to the university and this new halls of residence will be an important addition to our campus.
“We look forward to realising the benefits of our innovative joint venture over the coming years.”
