Melburg Capital, the privately owned real estate investment and development company, and TPG Angelo Gordon have secured Gateway 2 approval at their 399 bed eco-purpose-built student development at the South Plaza site in Bristol city centre.
The Building Safety Act 2022 introduced the necessity for Gateway 2 approval as part of a rigorous inspection of building regulation requirements to ensure building safety is considered at each stage of the design and construction process.
The timing of the approval will enable Melburg, alongside its contractor Winvic Construction, to deliver the scheme for the 2026-27 academic year, a critical factor for investment certainty.
By retaining the original office structure, Melburg will be saving 4,215 tonnes of embodied carbon dioxide with its chosen development methodology being 33% lower than a new ultra-low energy steel framed building.
The 399-bed scheme offers what Melberg describes as a market-leading 29 square foot of internal amenity space per bed. Students will have access to a yoga studio, gym, lounge, library, study space, bookable meeting rooms, faith room, laundry facilities and a roof terrace on the 10th floor, as well as 434 cycle parking spaces.
A spokesperson for Melburg said in a statement: “Achieving the necessary approvals is a milestone for the project and reaffirms Melburg’s commitment to delivering the safest, highest quality, most sustainable built form across all our developments.
“We are passionate about making buildings better for the environment, and environments better for the people who utilise them. The team's reimagination of a decaying, not fit for purpose secondary office into this BREEAM excellent, EPC A rated eco-PBSA building is the embodiment of that vision.”
Melburg Capital is a fully integrated, privately owned real estate investment and development company investing in direct UK property across all sectors. Since inception its principals have invested in excess of £1 billion through value-add and opportunistic UK property acquisitions.