Net zero-carbon student scheme gets green light

Plans to develop the first net zero-carbon student village in Falmouth, Cornwall, have been given the go ahead. Sustainable property developer Verto has got the green light to create a 1,858-bed purpose-built student accommodation scheme on 49 acres at the Tremough Campus in Penryn. The new Halo Village will house students from both Exeter and Falmouth universities. The £250m development will include 97 wheelchair-accessible units, a GP surgery, leisure facilities and commercial space, including shops, a pub, restaurant and a 48-bedroom budget hotel. Andy West, head of land and planning at Verto, called the scheme a “groundbreaking and revolutionary development”. “I hope that the Halo Village scheme acts as a catalyst to change the way major development projects are delivered in the UK and proves that zero-carbon development is not only achievable but necessary to address the climate crisis,” he said. The scheme had been refused a year ago by Cornwall Council’s strategic planning committee on matters relating to landscaping, ecology and scale. Verto lodged an appeal with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, which has now been won. Construction is scheduled to begin in October this year. Images © Grainge Architects