S Harrison has announced the sale of a prominent development site in Edinburgh’s Gorgie Road to Watkin Jones.
S Harrison secured planning permission on the site earlier this year for a new student accommodation scheme comprising 248 bedrooms in two buildings made up of 35 studio rooms and a mixture of cluster apartments.
Features include study rooms, a games area, gym, cinema, laundry and cycle storage for every resident.
The site previously housed several industrial units that have been demolished. The planning decision followed a successful appeal by S Harrison after the development was initially rejected by councillors.
David Clancy, development director at S Harrison, said, “Watkin Jones is one of the most reputable names in the student accommodation sector. This sale demonstrates the strength of the student market in Edinburgh and the quality of this site, which is close to several Edinburgh Napier University buildings, The University of Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt University, as well as having public transport links on the doorstep.”
Since 1999, Watkin Jones has delivered more than 41,000 student beds across 123 sites. The company is currently working on several schemes in Edinburgh, including a 216-bed project in Dundee Street.
Alex Pease, chief investment officer of Watkin Jones, added, “Gorgie Road is located in a good location in a city where there’s a strong demand for high quality student accommodation. The scheme, which will open in 2022, further strengthens our nationwide pipeline of student and build-to-rent sites and reinforces Watkin Jones’ credentials as the UK’s leading residential for rent developer.”
