6 September 2024 – Fusion Group, one of the largest privately-owned student accommodation developers and operators in the UK, has secured approval on its purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) scheme in Cardiff.
Fusion’s Longcross Court development, located on Newport Road near the city centre, will deliver 706 beds across 488 units. The development will also include 750 sq m of internal amenities, including a wellbeing studio, juice bar and fitness suite, as well as landscaped outdoor spaces.
Designed by Corstorphine & Wright, Fusion will seek to deliver a BREEAM Outstanding certification for the scheme and will install renewable energy facilities through air source heat pumps and PV panels.
Fusion’s planning application was supported by planning consultants Pearce Planning, ensuring the proposed development reflects community needs and adheres to high standards. Replacing a largely empty commercial building, Fusion’s scheme will be an anchor public space at the City Road-Newport Road junction, providing improved public realm with a 143 sq m café to activate the space and better integrate the development into the wider neighbourhood. As well as the café, Fusion will deliver a further 482 sq m of commercial space.
In 2023, Fusion entered into a forward purchase agreement with UK listed REIT, Picton Property Income to acquire the site, upon receipt of planning permission. The agreement was structured to reflect the size of scheme secured. Completion is expected before the end of the year and construction is expected to start in Q1 2025 and complete in time for the 2028/29 academic year.
There are 43,000 full-time students studying in and around Cardiff, with the majority of growth stemming from international students – a cohort which has increased by more than 73% since 2012/13. The Cardiff student market is relatively under-supplied, with just 15,800 beds in the city and no new developments delivered since 2022. Julian Evans, Land and Planning Director at Fusion Group, said: “Longcross Court is designed for positive impact: to enhance the wellbeing and student experience of its residents, to improve the public realm for the community, and to create and unlock much-needed housing for the city of Cardiff. Bringing a high-quality and sustainable development to a site that has been under-used for too long, this planning approval is a testament to the appetite among communities for realising the potential of city-centre brownfield sites and creating best-in-class new homes where they’re needed.”
