Fusion Group has secured planning approval for Longcross Court – its purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) scheme in Cardiff. The development, located on Newport Road close to the city centre, will deliver 706 student beds across 488 units.
The scheme will also include 750 sqm of internal amenities, including a wellbeing studio, juice bar, fitness suite, and landscaped outdoor spaces.
Designed by Corstorphine & Wright, Fusion will seek to deliver a BREEAM Outstanding certification for the scheme and will install renewable energy facilities through air source heat pumps and PV panels.
Fusion’s planning application was supported by planning consultants Pearce Planning, ensuring the proposed development reflects community needs and adheres to high standards. Longcross Court is Fusion’s fourth development in Cardiff.
Replacing a largely empty commercial building, Fusion’s scheme will be an anchor public space at the City Road-Newport Road junction, providing improved public realm with a 143 sqm café to activate the space and better integrate the development into the wider neighbourhood. As well as the café, Fusion Group will deliver a further 482 sqm of commercial space.
In 2023, Fusion entered into a forward purchase agreement with UK listed REIT Picton Property Income to acquire the site, upon receipt of planning permission. Construction is expected to start in Q1 2025 and complete in time for the 2028/29 academic year.
“Longcross Court is designed for positive impact: to enhance the wellbeing and student experience of its residents, to improve the public realm for the community, and to create and unlock much-needed housing for the city of Cardiff.
“Bringing a high-quality and sustainable development to a site that has been under-used for too long, this planning approval is a testament to the appetite among communities for realising the potential of city-centre brownfield sites and creating best-in-class new homes where they’re needed.”
Julian Evans, Land and Planning Director, Fusion Group
There are 43,000 full-time students studying in the city of Cardiff, with the majority of growth stemming from international students – a cohort which has increased by over 73% since 2012/13.
The student market is relatively under-supplied, with just 15,800 beds in the city and no new developments delivered since 2022.
