Watkin Jones’ proposed new student accommodation block in Swansea

Student accommodation specialist Watkin Jones has unveiled plans for a 350-bed facility in the centre of Swansea on the site of a former HMRC office.

Since 1999 the company has delivered 43,000 student beds across 130 sites and identified the Welsh city as a hotspot with Swansea University student numbers having increased 11.5% over the last three years while Trinity St Davids’s have risen by 47.9% during the same period.

Alex Pease, Chief Investment Officer of Watkin Jones, said: “We continue to see very strong demand for high-quality student homes across the UK. Students and their families increasingly value purpose-built and managed accommodation, which offers inbuilt community and wellbeing support.

“This year has seen the largest ever proportion of school leavers applying to university, a trend that is projected to continue alongside increased international demand.”

Watkin Jones has begun consultation with the local community ahead of submitting a planning application later in the year, which will include studios and cluster accommodation, alongside communal and amenity facilities.

The Group is already active in Swansea, having recently developed and completed a three-phase 967-bed scheme in the city while the HMRC office represents the firm’s third major acquisition since the start of 2021.