University of Chichester Names Uliving Preferred Bidder for New Scheme

The University of Chichester has confirmed Uliving in consortium with Equitix, as preferred bidder to deliver and enhance the student accommodation facilities across their two campuses.  

The University’s primary objective is to create new accommodation and refurbish the existing accommodation to meet demand but also provide an affordable, high-quality student and living experience.  

Uliving, the student accommodation brand of Linkcity UK, working in consortium with Equitix, propose to deliver a total of 1,032 units across the two campuses in Bognor Regis and Chichester. This will include: a stock transfer of, and extensive refurbishment to, the existing 507 beds across the two campuses; delivery of the enhanced consented 176-bed new build scheme at Bognor Regis and delivery of 349 new beds at the Bishop Otter campus in Chichester. 

The consortium is already a multi-award winner in student accommodation projects, over several years and their experience means they are well placed to provide the services required for meeting the university’s exacting standards. The project would add to their already large portfolio of student accommodation across England. 

Professor Jane Longmore, Vice-Chancellor, at the University of Chichester, said: “We are delighted to be working with Uliving and Equitix. Both companies listened and responded carefully to our brief to deliver high-quality student accommodation for both our campuses. This will include an extensive building programme, as well as refurbishment of many of our existing bedrooms. The building designs, sustainability plans and attention to social spaces impressed both University and Student Union colleagues alike. Within the Chichester region this new accommodation will help us meet increased demand as our student numbers grow and provide an affordable student living experience, as they move away from home for their new lives at university.” 

Oliver Campbell, CEO of Uliving said, “We are thrilled to have reached this stage and are looking forward to progressing our plans with Equitix to deliver high quality, affordable living spaces which meets the needs of the University of Chichester and its students. We will work collaboratively with our sister companies Bouygues UK and Bouygues Energies & Services to deliver sustainable buildings that provide the highest level of facilities management services.” 

Hugh Crossley, Chief Executive for Equitix, said: “We are delighted to be named as Preferred Bidder on this exciting project with one of the UK’s fastest growing institutions. As the UK’s leading investor and developer in social infrastructure, Equitix are well placed to successfully deliver an enhanced student living experience with our valued partners”. 

The consortium propose to refurbish, develop and enhance the twin sites to be delivered in stages with practical completion by September 2027. The delivery of this project will tie in with University of Chichester’s long term sustainable investment strategy. 

Southwark Council, developer Linkcity and lead contractor Bouygues UK welcomed London’s Deputy Mayor for Housing and Residential Development Tom Copley to the Tustin Estate construction site to officially mark the start of the build with a ground breaking event. 

Tustin Estate is a significant Southwark Council housing project which will provide nearly 700 new homes. The scheme includes 250 replacement council homes and shared equity properties, 220 additional council homes including keyworker homes, and 220 homes for private sale. The development will feature a central park, refurbishment of existing council homes and at least 1,800 sqm of commercial floorspace. In addition, the project will improve the public realm and landscaping across the estate, including new pedestrian, cycle and vehicular routes throughout, greenways, and improvements to Tustin Common. Work commenced in autumn 2022 and the whole project is planned to complete in 2030. 

Linkcity, the development arm of Bouygues UK, was confirmed as the development partner for the entire scheme in 2022. The partners will deliver the project in four phases.  

Linkcity, the development arm of Bouygues UK, was selected by the Council in 2021 to work with the authority to advise on buildability for the development of phase 1 and the masterplan, and confirmed as the development partner for the entire scheme in 2022. It’s the first large-scale project procured through Pagabo’s Developer Led Framework. 

Community engagement has been central to the project from the offset. The mandate for the project was established through a community ballot and residents have been able to influence aspects including design, construction strategy and social value. Employing local labour is a priority with positions such as resident liaison officer and traffic marshall already given to local people.  

Giving back to the local community is always a key priority for Southwark Council and its building contractors. Linkcity and Bouygues UK have held workshops for young people in the local area, including a ‘Girls Believe’ academy at Bacons College to attract more women into construction and engineering, and educational workshops including interview skills at London South Bank University.  Linkcity have also offered a three-week pre-employment course as well as longer-term apprenticeships and training opportunities. Local family events are regularly held in the community with activities like arts and crafts and dancing. 

Phillippa Prongué, Linkcity’s Managing Director, opened the ceremony and expressed how exciting it was to get to this point: “This is a really significant moment for our team and for Southwark Council, and the culmination of many months’ hard work. This project is not really about the physical buildings; it’s about the people who will live in them, that’s something that has been really clear to us from the first moment we got involved in this project.  

“One of the things that we pride ourselves on at Linkcity is the close relationship with our construction partner, Bouygues UK, and nowhere is the strength of that relationship better demonstrated than when we move a project from the design stage to construction and start delivering on the commitments that we have made. We are so pleased how the site team has taken up the mantle of working closely with residents to make the construction process a smooth one.” 

Deputy Mayor for Housing and Residential Development, Tom Copley, said, “I was delighted to attend the ground-breaking ceremony for this important scheme, which will deliver hundreds of brand new council homes part-funded by City Hall, including homes for keyworkers.  

 “The local community have been at the heart of this project, which is also delivering green spaces and new pedestrian and cycle routes. Developments like this have contributed to the more than 23,000 new council homes started in London since 2018, and support the Mayor as we continue building a fairer and more prosperous London for everyone.” 

  Cllr Helen Dennis, Cabinet Member for New Homes and Sustainable Development, added, “Starting the first phase of our Tustin Estate Masterplan marks a huge milestone in transforming this area and meeting the needs of local people. Tustin is one our major estates in the borough and we are proud to work with residents here to provide new council homes, a school and a park for the local community. 

“We look forward to continuing to work closely with our residents as we progress with transforming and reinvigorating this estate. We know that the new homes, community spaces and facilities here will give a boost to our communities and support our residents to thrive.” 

The project is expected to achieve a 94% reduction on carbon emissions when in use. A large part of this is due to the clean energy being supplied by the local waste-to-energy district heating network. Additional measures such as high-insulation building fabric, solar panels, SUDs, and air-source heat pumps for individual houses will also contribute to this. Most of the demolition materials will be reused, demolition will be limited through refurbishing a section of the estate and Linkcity and contractor Bouygues UK will raise awareness of subjects like biodiversity through workshops with the local school and the construction of bug hotels.  

Linkcity is currently working on the early design stages of Phase 2 of the estate masterplan, with construction due to start after the completion of phase one in summer 2025. 

Linkcity is proud to be announced as a new partner and co-sponsor of The Future of London’s major social value programme for 2023.

We are currently involved in delivering several major projects for Future of London members in London, including:

• Hallsville Quarter in Canning Town to deliver a new £600m town centre with the London Borough of Newham
• Tustin Estate redevelopment, including 220 new council homes with Southwark Council

Linkcity also recently announced that we are going to be working with the London Borough of Barnet on a build-to-rent scheme on the station car park site in Burnt Oak to create 350 private and affordable homes.

We are joining Future of London at the start of Unlocking Social Value, a year-long programme of events and practice-based research. The programme will consider how the sector can better understand the needs of communities and look at the social value contribution of community-led initiatives.

Phillippa Prongué, Managing Director of Linkcity, said:

“We are excited to join Future of London because creating economically and socially sustainable communities is a mission we share.

“We are looking forward to connecting with members to develop solutions for inclusive, community-led regeneration and gain insights to help us reach our net zero targets.”

Nicola Mathers, Chief Executive of Future of London, said:

“The built environment sector is increasingly focused on ensuring that development creates real and lasting value to local communities.

“With their extensive experience of regeneration and housing development, we are certain that Linkcity will provide valuable insights to our programme.”

The social value programme is officially launched on 4 May 2023 – find out more here.

Developer Linkcity is delighted to announce that it has signed an agreement for lease to bring forward a mixed tenure Build to Rent scheme in the heart of Burnt Oak Town Centre.

Linkcity will be working with the London Borough of Barnet to bring about the revitalisation of the area with the provision of over 350 new homes together with complimentary commercial uses and a new library facility. Proposals will see the under-utilised station car park accommodate private and affordable housing while retaining a significant number of car parking spaces at the ground floor.

Tom Jackson, Development Director at Linkcity said,

I’m delighted to formalise the partnership with the London Borough of Barnet and looking forward to working closely with the council and key local stakeholders as we work up a planning application in the coming months. This is a great opportunity to make a positive difference to the regeneration of Burnt Oak town centre and to provide affordable new homes by developing an under-utilised site.

Deputy Leader of Barnet Council and Chair of the Housing & Growth Committee, Cllr Ross Houston said:

“This is an exciting new partnership to deliver more quality housing, including affordable homes, as well as new facilities in Burnt Oak. Further revitalisation of the town centre will be delivered through the council’s £3.6 million investment to enhance the area. We look forward to engaging with residents, businesses and Linkcity going forward, and to seeing the plans as they emerge.”

Linkcity is looking forward to engaging with the local community on its plans in the coming months.

Construction has now been completed at the landmark mixed-tenure development on Luton Street near Edgware Road, delivered by Westminster Builds and Linkcity.

This pioneering project is the first step in Westminster City Council’s long-term regeneration of the established Church Street neighbourhood; it is revitalising the area with 171 modern new homes, state-of-the-art community facilities, over £5m of community contributions and transformative public realm enhancements.  

The Luton Street regeneration has been delivered by joint venture partners Westminster Builds – Westminster City Council’s wholly owned development arm – and Linkcity, a division of Bouygues UK and a trusted partner that has delivered many projects with the Council. The partners have jointly funded the project and are jointly responsible for delivery, finances, marketing and sales; Linkcity is leading the construction with Bouygues UK as the main contractor.  

Providing huge economic benefit, income generated by the sale of homes will unlock funding to deliver new and refurbished homes, amenities and public space across Westminster’s ten development sites in and around Church Street. Of the 171 modern new homes at Luton Street, 109 are for sale and 62 designated affordable, including 12 townhouses; with three additional affordable townhouses that were completed further up Fisherton Street, by the delivery partners earlier in 2022. These popular homes are now occupied by local families. Local people have been prioritised as part of the sales strategy, giving those living in the city first call on purchasing a home here. 

With recent changes to the Council’s Administration, the project team have reviewed the number of affordable social rent homes that are part of this scheme and are now making further changes to maximise the number of social rent by a further 15 homes, which includes 3 x 3 bedrooms and 12 x 2 bedrooms, with the remainder 4 x 1-bedroom homes offered as intermediate rent.  

The scheme has community at its heart; the partners have also delivered a 490m2, triple-height, three-court new sports hall and community space for the wider neighbourhood to benefit from. The new centre, run by Everyone Active in partnership with Westminster City Council, will feature a three-court sports hall suitable for football 5 a-side, basketball, futsal, netball, volleyball, badminton, and table tennis.  

The new Church Street Community Sports Centre will offer affordable access for community groups and residents, and there is a community studio which can be used for group exercise classes ranging from yoga to events, community meetings, children’s parties and soft play.  

A £3m contribution is being used to improve local infrastructure and public realm, while a further £2.4m contribution is being used to improve surrounding residential buildings.  

Development also includes the first section of a new green spine, a landscaped pedestrian route that will better link Church Street with Marylebone and re-establish connectivity within the neighbourhood. Designed with pedestrian and cycle paths, gardens and play areas, this is a space predominantly for people away from cars. It will encourage healthy living through opportunities for walking, cycling, play and exercise, while biodiverse green spaces will be wonderful places to relax and will attract birds and wildlife.  

Many local people have been employed to the project as part of the partners’ commitment to social impact. By March 2022, the partners had exceeded their percentage contractual targets for local employment by 140% for work experience placements, 267% for local support activities, 103% for new apprentices and local jobs and an impressive 576% for volunteering hours. 

Cllr Matt Noble, Cabinet Member for Climate Action, Regeneration and Renters at Westminster City Council, said: “Building genuinely affordable and social homes for local people is at the top of the list of priorities for the council and so I’m delighted to be able to offer more social homes than originally planned as part of this development.  

The Luton Street development, and the wider Church Street regeneration programme, is delivering changes that will revitalise the area and provide numerous benefits to local people and communities.” 

Phillipa Prongué, Managing Director, Linkcity, comments: “This partnership between council and private developer has resulted in a ‘best of both’ project; Linkcity’s placemaking, construction and development credentials are creating a development that can compete internationally in a crowded marketplace while Westminster’s involvement as a partner means that the delivery of the scheme is always underpinned by a community-first approach.   

“This is a scheme that is not only bringing new homes, community facilities and green space within its own red line but also unlocking the transformational regeneration of an entire neighbourhood as a result. This would not have been possible without the equal contribution of either partner.” 

Rob Bradley, CEO, Bouygues UK, said “We’re proud to have delivered this exemplar project to the residents of Westminster. The quality of this landmark mixed-tenure development is testament to the strength of the Bouygues UK, Linkcity and Westminster Builds partnership. As one of the first contractors to work with the council’s newly launched development arm, Westminster Builds, the relationship has been a huge success and we look forward to seeing where it will take us in the future. Congratulations to all those who played a part in this incredible scheme.”  

Linkcity has been granted planning permission by the London Borough of Newham for Phase 4 of its Hallsville Quarter development masterplan in Canning Town.

Phase 4 proposes a new mixed-use city block designed by architects PRP, which includes 377 purpose-built student accommodation rooms, a wide range of student amenity spaces including a first-floor garden and 7th-floor roof terrace and 487m2 of new ground floor, flexible commercial floorspace and landscaped public realm. As with the previous phases, Bouygues UK will be the main contractor and will take a low-carbon, sustainable approach. Construction is expected to begin towards the end of the year.

Planning and development consultancy Montagu Evans have been advising Linkcity on Phase 4, which will deliver the final jigsaw piece of the new town centre. It marks the penultimate phase of the Hallsville Quarter Masterplan and is expected to complete in Summer 2025.

In total the Hallsville Quarter development will provide over 1,100 new homes, a new hotel, up to 30,000m2 of leisure, work and retail space with a new art-house style cinema, and community facilities including a new public health centre close to the Canning Town transport hub. New public spaces, pedestrian links, cyclist provisions and secure parking spaces are also included.

Phillippa Prongué, Linkcity Managing Director said, “I’m so thrilled we have been given the go ahead to deliver phase 4 of this significant regeneration project in the London Borough of Newham, which will provide much-needed student accommodation in the area. It’s exciting to see the new town centre coming on at pace and students will bring vitality and diversity to this community.” 

Linkcity has reached financial close on the first phase of the Tustin Estate scheme, a significant housing project for Southwark Council. Overall, the project will feature nearly 700 new homes. It’s the first large-scale project procured through Pagabo’s Developer Led Framework. 

The scheme includes 250 replacement council homes and shared equity properties, 220 additional council homes including keyworker homes, and 220 homes for sale. In addition, it will feature a central park, refurbishment of existing council homes and at least 1,800 sqm of commercial floorspace. Works commenced in autumn 2022 and the whole project is planned to complete in 2030. Bouygues UK will be the main contractor. 

Southwark Council has been working for several years on the preparation of the redevelopment and put together the outline planning application, granted this October. Linkcity, part of the Bouygues Construction group, were selected by the Council in 2021 at the start of RIBA stage 2 design to work closely with the authority to advise on buildability in the development of phase 1 and the masterplan.  

The mandate for the project was established through a community ballot, and Linkcity has communicated with residents from the start of its involvement to keep them updated on its plans. Residents have been able to feed back on and influence the various aspects of the project, including design, construction strategy and social value.  

The project is expected to achieve a 97% reduction on carbon emissions when in use. A large part of this is due to the clean energy being supplied by the local waste-to-energy district heating network. Additional measures such as high-insulation building fabric, solar panels, SUDs, and air-source heat pumps for individual houses will also contribute to this. Most of the demolition materials will be reused, demolition will be limited through refurbishing a section of the estate and Linkcity and contractor Bouygues UK will raise awareness of subjects like biodiversity through workshops with the local school and the construction of bug hotels.  

Tom Jackson, development director at Linkcity said, “It’s fantastic that a project of this size can start work on site so soon after concept design work. It’s a real credit to the officers at Southwark who have worked so hard with the residents and us on the design of the scheme. We’re delighted to have started work on Phase 1 and we can’t wait to see the plans come to fruition. Alongside our construction partner Bouygues UK, we are committed to providing social and economic value through local employment and education opportunities and achieving a significant reduction on carbon emissions.” 

Cllr Darren Merrill, Cabinet Member for Council Homes and Homelessness, said, “I’m delighted that we have reached this important milestone in our redevelopment of the Tustin Estate. We will soon start seeing tangible results from all the hard work put into this project, and I’m proud that our residents have been so involved in the designs for their estate. This major redevelopment will provide hundreds of new homes, rejuvenate the area and bring enormous benefits for the local community.” 

Jonathan Parker, head of construction at Pagabo, added: “It would be difficult to find a better large-scale scheme than that of Tustin Estate to be the first procured through our Developer Led Framework. Connecting Linkcity with the London Borough of Southwark is set to create social and economic value for the local community following a fair and competitive tender process – ensuring the best outcomes for all involved. We look forward to seeing the scheme progress and the benefits come to fruition.” 

Bouygues UK has completed its first self-delivered modular project, successfully delivering 491 bedrooms of student accommodation at The Riverside, a £115 million mixed use development in the historic City of Canterbury. Three of Bouygues Construction’s companies are part of the major urban regeneration project; Linkcity, the development partner of Canterbury City Council; Bouygues UK, contractor for the scheme; and Uliving – Linkcity’s dedicated student accommodation brand. 

The 491-bedroom student accommodation scheme has been innovatively delivered using modular construction, with the 430 modules built in a dedicated factory in Morocco and transported to the UK. A range of rooms have been delivered, from studios, ‘two-dios’, premium rooms and cluster rooms with an en-suite, while all rooms have access to the fitness studio, games area, roof terrace and courtyard as well as a study area and laundry. 

Offsite production is part of the UK Government’s roadmap for construction, and so Bouygues UK built a dedicated factory in Morocco to produce the student accommodation modules, which were then transported directly to the construction site in Canterbury for installation. This innovative process results in a shorter build time, less disturbance on site, a reduction in risk and improved quality.  

The Riverside sits at the centre of a new leisure quarter in Canterbury, with a new public square at its heart and overlooking the River Stour that runs through the city centre. This leisure-led destination is anchored by a five-screen Curzon Cinema, as well as restaurants and bars wrapping around the new public square. In addition to the student accommodation, the wider development also delivers 189 new homes, all within a pedestrian friendly neighbourhood that knits into the existing community.  

Rob Bradley, CEO of Bouygues UK, said, ”As our first self-delivered modular project, completing the student accommodation at Canterbury Riverside is a really exciting milestone for us. The completed project is of the highest standard and showcases our ability to design, build and operate student accommodation.  

“Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) is a crucial part of the future for construction, and we have learned a tremendous amount from this scheme, which stands us in great stead for future modular projects. Its successful delivery is a result of great collaboration, between Bouygues UK, Linkcity, Uliving, Canterbury City Council and our colleagues in Morocco, where we built a dedicated factory to manufacture the modules. We are looking forward to utilising these skills much more going forward.” 

Canterbury City Council Cabinet Member for Place which includes regeneration, Cllr Barbara Anne Flack, said: “For Canterbury, the epitome of a historic city, to become home to such modern buildings built in a cutting-edge and innovative way is something to be celebrated and sums up the kind of place this is. 

“The fact this is part of a scheme that will revitalise a rundown but vitally important part of the city, provide the cinema and leisure facilities residents have been demanding for such a long time, create jobs and result in much-needed affordable housing is cause for a double celebration.” 

The team at our development for the London Borough of Newham, Hallsville Quarter Phase Three, has reached a key milestone on the project. Linkcity joined main contractor, Bouygues UK, and One Housing Group in celebrating the completed the structure of the build with a topping out ceremony on Wednesday 17^th August. 

The £240m (GDV) Hallsville Quarter scheme is one of London’s biggest regeneration projects, and the third phase, expected to complete in 2024, will be the largest to date, more than doubling the number of new homes the scheme has delivered so far. 

Linkcity has been working closely with our sister company Bouygues UK, One Housing Group, Grainger and the London Borough of Newham to deliver Phase 3 which will include: 

• 278 private rental homes situated across two blocks owned by Grainger, including 2,400m2 commercial space within the blocks 
• 245 shared ownership (including 10 shared equity)  
• 50 extra care 
• 47 affordable rent (including 10 London affordable rent) 
• 6,800m2 of commercial space owned by Linkcity which it intends to let and/or sell to a commercial investor. 

This latest phase of the Hallsville Quarter development will also deliver an integrated health centre under an innovative new model with local health partners, 1,125m2 of business accommodation, a new basement car park for 143 vehicles, and new high-quality public spaces, including fountains and play areas. 

In total, the Hallsville Quarter development, which is part of the Canning Town and Custom House regeneration project, will provide 1,100 new homes, over 30,000m2 of leisure and retail space, and more than 2,975m2 of space for community facilities, as well as new public spaces, pedestrian links, cyclist provision and secure parking spaces.  

Phillippa Prongué, Linkcity Managing Director said, “For over 10 years, Bouygues UK and Linkcity have been working closely with the London Borough of Newham to deliver the regeneration of Canning Town. It’s great to be here to celebrate reaching this stage of the build in a project which will transform this area of east London and help create a thriving centre. Congratulations to everyone involved in reaching this point.” 

Gerald Farque, Bouygues UK Managing Director said,  “It’s wonderful to be here to celebrate reaching this important milestone at Hallsville Quarter Phase 3, one of the most significant town centre regeneration projects.  I am particularly proud of our in-house civil works teams who have delivered, as with previous phases, the reinforced concrete frame. I would also like to congratulate the project team on their commitment to social value, in particular supporting local labour at each phase of this regeneration scheme.” 

Robert Marcantoni, Group Director of Development for One Housing (Part of Riverside) added, “One Housing are delighted to partner with Linkcity and Bouygues UK to provide over 300 much needed social homes within one of our key London boroughs. This milestone is a fantastic achievement and builds on the existing homes we have within this community. In this housing and cost of living crisis this 3rd Phase of Hallsville Quarter provides much needed affordable homes and delivers a 50 unit Extra Care Scheme where we will be providing support and personal care services to adults over 55 years old. Following the recent off-plan launch of our Shared Ownership homes, we have already had great interest and feedback and we look forward to the handover of these great affordable homes.” 

Find out more about the wider scheme here.

Linkcity and sister company, Bouygues UK, have been awarded a place on the Notting Hill Genesis (NHG) Development Contractors Framework, coming second place out of the 26 other winners.

This framework is one of the most widely recognised frameworks within the Housing Association sector, and will run for a minimum of 4 years.

The aim of the framework is to provide 7000 homes in next 5 years across Greater London, with a yearly objective of 500 low-cost rental, 500 intermediate (350 shared ownership and 150 intermediate market rent), 200 market rent and 200 outright sale. The estimated pipeline value of the framework is £2.5bn.

Jim Atkinson, Development Director at Linkcity said: “We are thrilled to have been awarded a place on NHG’s framework. We have a strong history of collaboration with NHG and we are looking forward to the further partnership opportunities that it will bring.”

Lorraine Casey, Pre-Construction Director at Bouygues UK said: “Having previously acquired our projects Peckham Library & Flaxyards, Maitland Park and others through NHG’s framework, we are delighted to have been awarded a place on this year’s one. With this secured, we are looking forward to strengthening our relationship with NHG, combining our expertise to build a host of residential and mixed-use developments.”