South Derry property developer South Bank Square has formally submitted its proposal to redevelop the site of Fanum House in Belfast into a new 594-unit student accommodation complex.
The Maghera company, which is owned by the Gillan family, is planning to completely demolish the 1960s era high rise office building on Great Victoria Street, along with the neighbouring Norwood House, to make way for the purpose built managed student accommodation (PBMSA) development.
‘The Grattan’ scheme was originally announced as 610-units split into three tiered blocks on Great Victoria Street, topping out at 17 storeys, with a fourth smaller block on Ventry Street.
South Bank Square (SBS) has slightly down-sized the scheme following a public consultation exercise conducted in recent weeks.
Belfast City Council has already approved a 201-unit student accommodation scheme next to the Fanum House site.
FMN Properties Ltd was given the green light in December to demolish the Filthy McNastys hospitality complex on Dublin Road to make way for an 11-storey new build.
The planning approval, couple with the green light for Kainos’ new Dublin Road headquarters, will see Trademarket Belfast vacate its site at the end of July.
The hospitality venture is actively lobbying for support to help it relocate to a nearby site.
Subject to planning approval for the SBS proposal, it could mean 1,254 new student units developed within 100 metres of each other.
In December 2022, representations from Queen’s University and Ulster University were heard at a Belfast City Council committee, indicating that the purpose built student accommodation and private rental sectors were at capacity in Belfast, suggesting that a further 6,000 rooms would be needed for students by 2028-30.
SBS originally acquired the Fanum House site in 2011 in a deal overseen by the Republic’s National Asset Management Agency (Nama).
Built in 1965, the 11-storey brutalist building was previously the Belfast-base for both RTÉ and The Irish Times.
The developer originally proposed two hotels and went on to build the ETAP Hotel on the Dublin Road.
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SBS later sold the hotel to CBRE’s investment arm in 2015 for £6.6m. CBRE sold the ETAP to Andras House earlier this year for £7.35m.
SBS previously proposed The Grattan as a build-to-rent apartment scheme, before redrawing its plans.
In its current form, The Grattan proposal includes a café, residents lounge, fitness suite, business hub and landscaped roof terraces.
The Maghera firm’s managing director, Martin Mallon, said: “Following a thorough community consultation process we are pleased to submit our full planning application for The Grattan, bringing an opportunity to provide much-needed student accommodation whilst also significantly building on recent revitalisation work in the Great Victoria Street and Dublin Road areas.
“We now hope for a timely progression through Belfast City Council’s planning procedures to enable us to address the pressing need for additional student rooms, and to help regenerate this critical area south of the city centre.”
