Bywater and Ashmour drop Belfast offices plan for PBSA

Bywater Properties and Ashmour Developments intend to submit proposals for a major student accommodation development on a site in Belfast that had received prior approval for offices. The developers gained consent in 2019 for three office buildings on land currently used as a surface car park between Gresham Street and Winetavern Street in the Smithfield area of the city. Bywater and Ashmour plan to submit new proposals for a 226,200 sq ft, 583-apartment student housing scheme. As with the previous scheme, the plans include retail and leisure units on the ground floor. The scheme seeks to meet the growing need for accommodation from students attending Queen’s University, Belfast, and the new York Street campus of Ulster University, has around 15,000 students. Plans also cover the retention and ongoing revitalisation of the listed Butcher’s Building on the corner of Gresham Street and North Street, recently home to a range of independent businesses supported by Bywater and Ashmour. The developers are also in the process of refurbishing several of the older terraces on Winetavern Street and Gresham Street, with a number of discussions being held with potential occupiers. Patrick O’Gorman, principal at Bywater Properties, said: “We really loved the Smithfield Yard scheme which we brought forward in 2019, but with working patterns changing post-pandemic and plenty of other high-quality office stock coming forward in Belfast, we see greater need in this area for new high-quality city-centre accommodation to support the growing student demand. “The new Ulster University campus at York Street has brought a new vibrancy to this part of the city, but many of the students attending the campus are having to live a significant distance away in other parts of the city because of a shortage of student apartments. “Queen’s University also expects demand for new accommodation to grow significantly in the next few years. We believe we are well placed to help meet some of that need and are excited to bring forward a proposal that will contribute to the regeneration of this part of Belfast by using the vibrancy of the student community to help support a renaissance of the traditional small shops and businesses in the area.” To send feedback, e-mail akanksha.soni@eg.co.uk or tweet @AkankshaEG Image from Bywater Properties