Unite Students has submitted a full planning application to Manchester City Council to redevelop Cambridge Halls on the All Saints Campus. The plans will replace the current 770-bedroom building with 2,300 new PBSA student bedrooms across two complexes separated by a new public thoroughfare.
The development will help to meet the University’s growing need for student housing, while also improving the overall quality of accommodation and providing new spaces for community use along Cambridge Street as part of an investment worth almost £400m.
Manchester Metropolitan University prides itself on delivering an outstanding student experience. The development of Cambridge Halls will continue this commitment and, alongside the University’s Gold ranking in the Teaching Excellence Framework, contribute to its outstanding student experience and student outcomes.
Through a joint venture with Manchester Metropolitan University, Unite Students is seeking to redevelop the site to help ensure as many students as possible have access to high-quality, modern on-campus accommodation – including facilities like private bathrooms which are now a clear expectation of the modern student experience.
The plans will see the existing Cambridge Halls demolished and redeveloped, providing 2,300 new studio and cluster bedrooms at a range of price points.
Following public consultation and stakeholder engagement over the past year, a number of changes have been made to the scheme which has been submitted. This includes the retention of unrestricted pedestrian movements through the middle of the site, as well as enhanced, shared public spaces.
“Following extensive local consultation and engagement, we have incorporated feedback from ward members and the community in our final plans and we are thrilled to be submitting a detailed planning application to Manchester City Council.
“These proposals will transform Manchester Metropolitan University’s ability to meet the accommodation needs of its students without the need for travel to and from campus, so everyone can benefit from a world-class learning environment. It will also help to ease Manchester’s housing shortage by freeing up homes for local families.”
Thomas Brewerton, Group Development Director, Unite Students
Manchester Metropolitan University has committed to close the existing student accommodation on the site, with work due to start later this year. Subject to planning permission, construction is expected to start in 2026, with phase one in operation for the start of the 2029 academic year with the opening of 1,101 beds and phase two operational by September 2030, when a further 1,201 beds will open.
The project team, working alongside Unite Students and Manchester Metropolitan University, consists of Turley (Planning, Strategic Communications, Economics, EIA, Heritage, TVIA and Sustainability), architects Cartwright Pickard, Re-Form Landscape, Arup and Waterman Group.
“As an ambitious University, we are committed to providing a truly modern campus here in the city centre for our students, colleagues and the community. We are delighted to be partnered with Unite Students for the redevelopment of Cambridge Halls.
“This joint venture will provide much needed additional PBSA in Manchester, right on the doorstep of our University. The final plans we have submitted will not only enhance the quality of housing for students, but also benefit the surrounding community through new health, wellbeing and retail offerings.”
Andrew Fallon, Chief Property Officer, Manchester Metropolitan University
Manchester is the UK’s second-largest university city with over 100,000 full-time students studying at four universities. Manchester Metropolitan University needs around 5,700 beds every year to meet the demand from its first year and international students, but currently owns less than half that amount.
This significant undersupply is a common story across the city and has resulted in increased rents and reliance on privately rented family homes.
