UK: Planning consent for Northern Ireland’s first Passivhaus student accommodation has been granted by Belfast City Council planning committee.
The 459-unit block for Queen’s University will be the first certified Passivhaus PBSA scheme in Belfast and the largest certified Passivhaus project in Ireland. Passivhaus certification is a globally recognised standard whereby very little energy is used for heating and cooling, making the building ultra-low emission.
Northern Ireland’s Higher Education providers estimate that approximately 6,000 additional student beds are needed across the city in forthcoming years. Queen’s currently owns and manages more than 3,500 beds across the city and it is estimated that 3,000 more rooms will be needed in Belfast within the next five years for Queen’s students alone.
Caroline Young, vice president of students and corporate services at Queen’s University Belfast, said: “We have seen a huge demand for student accommodation in recent years. This site will help us in part to meet the demand for quality student accommodation while working towards our Strategy 2030, which has sustainability at its core. The site at Dublin road will house up to 459 students, offering the first ultra-low emission multi-occupancy building in the city centre. We are delighted to be at the forefront of such a significant milestone for sustainable development in Belfast and beyond, which resonates with the Belfast City Council’s aim to future proof the city for generations to come.
“We are committed to achieving our ambitious net zero target for 2040 whilst providing the best student experience, not least by continuing to offer high quality accommodation at one of the best values across the UK,” she added.
Queen’s currently has more than 24,000 students and almost 5,000 staff. A recent report by London Economics highlighted that the university’s impact on the economy is £3.2 billion, driving economic growth in the region and beyond.
Young added: “This site marks an important part of our longer term accommodation plan to meet growing demand. This site will not only positively impact the economy for the foreseeable future in terms of job creation and the transformation of the area but also in the long-term with the impact expected to be seen for generations of students to come.”
