U.K. student development pipeline up despite uncertainty

The number of student bed spaces due to be built in the United Kingdom for the 2019/2020 academic year is 25 percent higher than last year, according to analysis by Knight Frank. An increase in the development pipeline highlights the resilience of the sector, despite wider uncertainties.

In total, these new additions will lift the overall number of purpose-built student bed spaces by 5.1 percent to over 600,000. A further 14,000 bedrooms are under construction or in planning and due to be delivered during the 2020 and 2021 academic years, although this total may rise as new applications are approved.

The majority of PBSA rooms are operated by universities, accounting for 64 percent of the current stock. Of this, however, 38 percent is actually privately owned and leased back to universities.