Development will be located in a currently disused Wirral Council building, adjacent to the Grade I-listed Hamilton Square. on the corner of Cleveland Street and Lord Street. Tony McDonough reports
Developer YPG has secured planning consent from Wirral Council for a £12m student accommodation project in the heart of Birkenhead.
The 200-bed complex, known as Hamilton Hub, will be located in a currently disused Wirral Council building, adjacent to the Grade I-listed Hamilton Square. on the corner of Cleveland Street and Lord Street.
Plans will see the existing building expanded to 70,000 sq ft and refurbished to feature key amenities, including a gym and laundry facilities. There will also be a communal secret garden and rooftop extension, which will take the complex from two and three storeys to between three and five storeys.
The development will support the Marine Education and Training Centre being developed in Wirral Waters as part of the new Mersey Maritime Knowledge Hub.
The regeneration-focused property company is set to start on site shortly. YPG Projex has designed the building and YPG Developments will be building the complex itself.
Construction work is expected to provide around 100 employment opportunities, with YPG committed to supporting the local supply chain wherever possible, and working with the Wirral Chamber of Commerce to this end.
Ming Yeung, managing director of YPG, said: “Knowledge-intensive sectors and higher-education establishments are vital regeneration catalysts for both Wirral and the wider Liverpool city region.
“At YPG we’re well versed in providing student accommodation to support these industries. We listen closely to our customers’ feedback, and the green space afforded by the secret garden and the rooftop extension at Hamilton Hub are based on this.
“The fact that many of our units are sold off plan, within weeks of construction starting, evidences that we have the right blend of high-quality fit out and well thought out co-living space and amenities.”
The development will support the Marine Education and Training Centre being developed in Wirral as part of the new Mersey Maritime Knowledge Hub, providing high-quality accommodation for its students.