Full BSR clearance for Fallowfield PBSA
Gateway 2 approval has now been given for all seven higher-risk buildings at the £530m redevelopment of the student campus, as the University of Manchester increases capacity to 3,300 bedspaces.
The project is being delivered by a partnership comprising Equitix, main contractor Graham, the university, and cornerstone funder Rothesay.
Of the seven buildings of such height that additional safety standards must be met – 18m or seven storeys – two were given approval by the Building Safety Regulator in January. The remaining five have now also been signed off, Graham has confirmed.
In all, 20 buildings across the campus are now fully approved.
Neil McFarlane, strategic development director at Graham Investment Projects, said: “Reaching Gateway 2 approval across the whole of Fallowfield Campus is a huge achievement for the entire project team. With a scheme of this scale and ambition, it took strong collaboration and a thorough working knowledge of the process to secure.
“We submitted our first application to the Building Safety Regulator several months ahead of planning approval, and that early, proactive approach to design and fire safety has been central to getting here.
“Together with our partners, we’re looking forward to seeing this scheme come to fruition, delivering lasting benefits for the Manchester student body and setting a precedent for sustainable PBSA schemes across the UK.”
Ben Leech, managing director at Equitix, said: “Gateway 2 approval is a meaningful step forward for the Fallowfield Campus redevelopment. On a project of this scale, it reflects the detailed work that has gone into the design, safety and delivery planning, and gives the team the certainty needed to move ahead.
“Equitix’s role is as lead project sponsor, equity investor, development partner and long-term manager of the project, and we’re proud to continue supporting its delivery as the new campus starts to take shape.”
The plans will add a net 900 beds to the south Manchester student campus. Credit; via planning documents
Passivhaus certification is the aim, and to that end, Techrete has manufactured offsite more than 4,000 precast façade panels for the scheme using low-carbon concrete.
News has been coming thick and fast this year for the Fallowfield project, which encompasses the overhaul of Owens Park, Oak House and Woolton Hall, alongside amenity space and green infrastructure. Sheppard Robson is the masterplan architect.
Pensions insurer Rothesay signed on as majority funder in early August, meaning that financial close has been reached for the scheme. The deal is a 50-year funding arrangement.
Later that month, it was announced that Places for People division PfP Students will manage the campus once it is live. The plan is for a phased opening, with the first 1,000 rooms due to open in 2028.
Subsequent phases, including additional accommodation and the central hub facilities, will be completed in 2029, with the remaining rooms becoming available in 2030.
The redevelopment will take the campus to 3,300 bedspaces, an increase of 900 on the current capacity, and also includes 48,000 sq ft of amenities, including a student bar, bookable social and study spaces, music practice rooms and wellbeing facilities.
