Crosslane Student Developments, part of the Crosslane Group, is pleased to announce that it has formally submitted a full planning application for a new purpose-built student accommodation scheme at the north-westerly side of Howard Gardens in Cardiff.
The proposed development occupies half of the square on the north-westerly side of Howard Gardens. The site was formerly occupied by a bowling green and club pavilion that has been in a state of disrepair and not been in public use for a number of years. City of Cardiff Council made the decision to sell this half of the square, not designated as public ‘open space’, two years ago. Crosslane successfully achieved preferred bidder status and the Council will be reviewing and agreeing the proposed plans before the sale of the site occurs. The redevelopment will enhance the area and complement the Council’s wider improvement plans, which include restoring and enhancing the park on the adjacent side of the square, which has also been out of public use for some time due to the dilapidated state of the facilities.
The proposed plans will seek to deliver a high-quality residential building with stepped heights of four and six storeys, rising to ten storeys in one corner, which will provide accommodation for around 400 students. The ground floor will contain a reception and management suite, as well as shared communal facilities for residents, including a common room, study hub and gym.
The proposed plans for the development also include a public coffee shop on the ground floor of the building, which will front onto the park to provide an improved open green space for local residents.
Recent research by Cushman and Wakefield shows that demand continues to outstrip supply despite new purpose-built student accommodation developments in Cardiff. While much of new student accommodation in Cardiff has delivered self-contained studios, Crosslane’s proposals are focused on shared cluster flats of between four and eight bedrooms sharing a kitchen and living room. This design encourages students to make new friends and provides social and cultural opportunities as part of their university experiences, as well as providing rooms at more affordable prices. The Howard Gardens area of Adamsdown is ideally located to attract students, due to its close proximity to city centre amenities, as well as to a number of key University campus sites, such as the Cardiff University Engineering Block and the University of South Wales.
The development is within easy walking distance of most of the university buildings within the city. Students living at the property will therefore be encouraged to walk, use public transport, or cycle and a large indoor secure bicycle storage facility will be provided, helping to discourage car ownership and prevent additional traffic and parking congestion.
The building will be BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) certified, which denotes that it has been designed and developed to meet high standards of sustainability and reduce ongoing operational running costs. The building is expected to include roof solar panels, a green “living” roof, as well as numerous other environmentally conscious design features and construction methods. Furthermore, Prime Student Living, the student accommodation lettings and operational management arm of the Crosslane Group, will facilitate responsible waste management by encouraging residents to recycle as much waste as possible.
Lisa Timberlake, Development Manager at Crosslane Student Developments, said:
“Two years ago, City of Cardiff Council decided to sell the bowling green and club house at Howard Gardens, which does not include the area designated as public open space, to help fund proposed restoration and improvement works in the area. Crosslane successfully achieved preferred bidder status and the Council will be reviewing and agreeing our proposed plans before the sale of the site occurs. Through combined private and public investment and cooperation, the hope is to deliver a wealth of new public facilities and support local trading which will benefit the local community.
Crosslane is committed to continuous regular and transparent engagement with local community representatives to ensure the long-term success and integration of this project into the neighbourhood. Crosslane also looks forward to working with local businesses to encourage students to shop and eat out locally within Adamsdown, through initiatives including printed information on local businesses and amenities in our student welcome packs and on our notice boards as well as holding pop-up events, supported by the work of our student operations and management business, Prime Student Living, which is part of Crosslane.
The supply/demand fundamentals persist in Cardiff despite new recent student accommodation developments as the City’s student population is already over 50,000 and is continuing to increase ahead of the national average. The supply of further purpose-built student accommodation helps meet this growing demand and also frees up private housing in Cardiff to rent by families and young professionals.”
