A 500-bed student accommodation has been given the green light to built near Bristol city centre. Developers say the new flats are really needed as Bristol is one of the 'most undersupplied markets in the UK for purpose-built student accommodation'.
Unite Students has been granted planning permission to build the new flats at the Freestone Island development, in Bristol Temple Quarter. This scheme has a total development cost of £ 73 million, and is set to open for the 2026/27 academic year.
Under the proposals, a 4,500 sq ft of affordable workspace will also be built. Unite already owns a 600-bed Marsh Mills site, on Feeder Road.
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Tom Brewerton, Group Development Director at Unite Students, said: “Bristol is one of the most undersupplied markets in the UK for purpose-built student accommodation with two strong universities and limited availability of land for this type of accommodation.
"Our Freestone Island project provides Unite Students with the opportunity to grow further in the city by providing high quality, value for money rooms for our students and university partners. We look forward to starting the construction phase as swiftly as possible and delivering the scheme in time for the 2026/27 academic year.
“As the leading provider of PBSA in the UK, we are trusted by parents, students and universities to provide quality, safe and affordable accommodation that supports the entire university experience and are committed to delivering our record development pipeline to meet this demand.”
What is Temple Quarter?
It is one of the UK’s largest regeneration projects – with 130 hectares of land being redeveloped to create a mixed-use community that includes office and commercial space, as well as pedestrianised green areas, alongside Unite Students’ student housing. The Quarter will be a key contributor to the West of England’s economy by creating new homes, jobs and generating income for the local area.
