Leading developer, Manor Property Group has announced that it has signed a partnership agreement with Lend Lease, the international property and infrastructure company, to deliver £240m of innovative student accommodation at five sites across the UK, under the new Qdos student housing brand.
The first sites form part of a wider £1.5bn programme to deliver 40,000 units before 2020, giving the partnership the potential to become one of the biggest private providers of student housing in the UK.
The scheme will deliver the developments under the Qdos Student Homes brand, which will manage the new units like a hotel rather than traditional student accommodation.
Qdos Student Homes will provide a sector-leading, concierge-type service to future occupiers, creating a one stop shop of services and benefits. Each development will feature high quality ensuite study bedrooms, 24-hour security, Wifi and range of onsite added amenities including, gyms, coffee shops and drop-off laundry services.
Residents will be provided with complimentary access to the Qdos.me social network, not only enabling them to connect online with their friends, family and future employers, but also providing them with a bespoke banking facility.
The first five sites, located in the university cities of Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester, Sheffield and Hull, will comprise 3,500 units in total; with work expected to start early 2013.
This new and innovative project represents the first phase of a major national programme which will see Manor Property Group and Lend Lease rollout up to 40,000 state of the art student accommodation units, under the Qdos brand, with a value of £1.5bn over the next eight years.
Further expansion of the programme will see the creation of Qdos developments in towns and cities across the UK including Oxford, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Durham and Nottingham. Between 10 and 15 sites are planned in Central London alone.
William Addy, Chairman of Manor Property Group, said: “Qdos Student Homes will operate these developments so that they set a new benchmark for student housing across the country. By combining first class accommodation and on site services with a social network which will fulfil demand for a new standard in the student sector, Qdos will establish new levels of customer service for both undergraduates and graduates.
“Our objective is to deliver a revolution in student living with up to 40,000 units at 70 sites nationwide between now and 2020. Given the scale of our plans, partnering with Lend Lease was the logical step. Lend Lease has both a proven track record and capability to assist us in the delivery of the next generation in student accommodation.”
Tom Spilsted, Head of Commercial Management at Lend Lease, added: “We are excited to be working with Manor Properties and Qdos to deliver student accommodation of the highest standard. The Qdos model will raise the bar for this sector.”