One of Lancaster’s leading student accommodation providers CityBlock have announced plans to expand, providing brand new student accommodation offering 70 ensuite bedrooms and 10 private studios. The new site will be located on Penny Street, replacing the Squires Pool & Sports Bar. “The site, which has been in need of desperate regeneration for many years”, according to CityBlock’s press release, will be transformed into modern vibrant living spaces for students, providing “additional choice for the student population with purpose built, well managed and good value student accommodation.”
Speaking to SCAN about rent prices for the new accommodation, Suzanne Parker, Brand and Marketing Manager for CityBlock said “rents have not yet been set as the proposal is only at the stage of going through planning”, however as in the old CityBlock accommodation all utility bills will be included in the rent. Currently details and images of room designs are not yet available, but in a recent press release CityBlock have said that all accommodation will be “incorporating CityBlock’s popular design loved by students.”
Parker told SCAN that we should expect to see the return of all of the facilities provided in the current CityBlock accommodation, such as Wi-Fi connection, communal areas fitted with TVs and fully equipped communal kitchens, as well as 24 hour security. Additionally the new block will include an internal courtyard and a ground floor retail unit. Sean Smith from SSHARC architects said that “the designs respect the historic conservation area setting whilst outwardly expressing and celebrating the building’s main function as vibrant living space for students.”
The development is due for completion in August 2016, and has been met with positive feedback from residents of Penny Street. CityBlock’s plans have also been welcomed by the Lancaster Civic Society, who said that they were “impressed with the designs.” Places Matter, (a CABE design watchdog) has also fully supported the scheme. They said “It is good to see such a strong scheme being proposed. We feel this is a suitable use for the site and applaud the ground floor being designed to have a retail element.”
The new high quality and sustainable accommodation will uphold the same standards seen in previous blocks, with transport links to and from Lancaster University being readily available. CityBlock has responded to the high demands for their accommodation and aims to provide students with the highest standards of quality. The company recently received accreditation from ANUK National Code of Standards for their student accommodation blocks across the country, a code which is fully supported by the National Union of Students (NUS).
