Glasgow set for 134-flat student scheme featuring nesting boxes for birds and bats
“There is real need for more student housing as student numbers have continued to grow, particularly among the international and postgraduate cohorts” – Stephen McKechnie, Kelvin Properties
A student development providing more than 130 rooms is due to complete next year in Glasgow’s leafy west end after the project secured £18.8 million in funding.
Kelvin Properties has secured the funding facility from Bank of Scotland to back the construction of its first purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) scheme in the city’s west end.
The 134-studio development on Queen Margaret Drive is already under construction, with completion targeted for June 2027, ready for a student intake at the start of the 2027/28 academic year.
The scheme, which has strong eco credentials, received planning approval for its revised student accommodation use in June 2024.
It comes amid a continuing boom in PBSA projects. A report last year hailed student flats as a “shining light” in Scotland’s commercial property market despite wider concerns over the fallout from an ongoing university and college funding crisis, the impact on future jobs from AI, and local worries about a lack of general housing.
Amid the criticism over the proliferation of student accommodation schemes in both Glasgow and Edinburgh, and setbacks for some proposals, several major projects have been given the green light.
Originally acquired in 2019 with consent for a residential development, the Queen Margaret Drive site was “repositioned” following a review of market demand, amid continued pressure on student housing supply in Glasgow.
The local council has indicated a shortfall of more than 6,000 student beds in the city, while a recent report by the University of Glasgow showed thousands of students across Scotland are at risk of homelessness, with demand for managed accommodation particularly acute in central and west end locations.
Kelvin Properties said its latest development would use air source heat pumps to eliminate fossil fuels, while targeting a 70 per cent carbon reduction. Two “bio-diversity focused” roof terraces will incorporate habitats including log piles and nesting boxes for birds and bats.
Stephen McKechnie, founder of Kelvin Properties, said: “Securing development finance in the current environment reflects confidence in both the project and the wider Glasgow market. This scheme marks an important next step as we expand alongside our established build-to-rent and residential portfolio, and we’re very proud it is already being recognised for its commitment to sustainability.
“We undertook a review of the Glasgow market before repositioning the site and the fundamentals were clear. There is real need for more student housing as student numbers have continued to grow, particularly among the international and postgraduate cohorts, while supply remains constrained in key locations like Glasgow’s west end.”
Founded in 1999 and headquartered in Glasgow, Kelvin Properties began as a residential investment business before expanding into development.
Graeme Steel, relationship director, Bank of Scotland, real estate and housing, added: “This project stood out due to the strength of Glasgow’s student demand and the quality of the proposed development, which rightly has received the highest possible accreditation by NextGeneration, and the first PBSA recognised.
“PBSA remains a resilient and important sector, helping to meet growing demand, support the city’s universities and ease pressure on the wider housing market.”