Northern Ireland developer submits new £55million plans for major development in Belfast

Northern Ireland property development company South Bank Square has revealed plans for a £55 million investment in purpose built managed student accommodation on a prime Belfast city centre site.

The proposed development, which will be known as The Grattan, will be situated at the site of the former Fanum House building on Great Victoria Street. The development will comprise of a modern purpose-built student accommodation building with 610 bedrooms in addition to a range of on-site amenities including a café, residents lounge, fitness suite, business hub and landscaped roof terraces.

South Bank Square has submitted a Proposal of Application Notice (PAN) to Belfast City Council, kick-starting the pre-application process for The Grattan.

Martin Mallon, managing director of South Bank Square, said: “Our exciting new proposals for The Grattan represent a major investment in Belfast, and an opportunity to regenerate this part of what was once known as the ‘Golden Mile’. The local stakeholders have recently made significant improvements to the streetscape of the area, and we aim to build on those improvements through this pivotal development of a prime gateway site on the southern edge of the City Centre. The site is ideally located close to the new transport hub and within easy walking distance of both Belfast City Centre and the Queens Quarter.

“We acknowledge the vibrancy that has been created by new student developments in other parts of the city and we strongly believe that our new proposals will bring renewed energy and creativity to this particular area. This part of Great Victoria Street has long been neglected and we believe that our development will be a major catalyst for the wider regeneration of the area.

“With the PAN now submitted, we will reveal further details about our consultation process in the coming weeks and we look forward to engaging with all the local stakeholders.’’

It has been widely reported that the need for modern student accommodation in Belfast has reached unprecedented levels of demand, with a recent UK-wide report from StuRents revealing that the UK is set to face a shortfall of 450,000 student beds by 2025.