Alumno breaks ground in Durham

Photo: Alumno breaks ground in Durham

On Thursday 28 January Alumno Developments and Kier held a special ground breaking ceremony to formally mark the start of building work on the new student accommodation development at the site of the former New College Durham at Nevilles Cross.

The scheme will provide rooms for 418 students and is designed by Howarth Litchfield Partnership.  The red-brick 1900s-built Neville House will be converted into 227 bedrooms, while the neighbouring Sheraton House will be demolished and a new 191-bedroom block built on the site.

David Campbell, managing director, Alumno Developments said:  “Sheraton Park is in a fantastic location and is close and accessible to several of the colleges at Durham University.  We are very pleased to not only bring Neville House and this significant site back into use but also reinvigorate and sensitively integrate the buildings into the surrounding residential area.  We’ve identified there is a real need for bespoke student accommodation in Durham and we can really address this at Sheraton park, it’s great to be on site.

“Specific focus is going to ensure we deliver a high grade parkland area, providing a large green open space with feature planting which will include benches and informal seating for everyone within the new community to enjoy.  With all our developments, it is very important to us that we engage early and bring along the local community and, we hope, improve local facilities as well as providing high quality homes for students.”

Brian McQuade, managing director, Kier said:  “It’s good to formally mark the start of work on site at Sheraton Park.  It’s an excellent scheme and we are looking forward to delivering it.  We’re in close contact with the local community and will update residents regularly as the work progresses.

Mark Bell, Sheraton Park Residents Association, said:  “We are very pleased to see the building work beginning on site.  We’ve had many discussions with Alumno and Kier about how the building site will be run and operated.  They have both been very understanding and we look forward to welcoming our new neighbours.”

It is expected Sheraton Park will be completed for the autumn term of 2017.  The new facilities will cater for a mixture of undergraduates, post-graduates, returning students and some fellows, and will include a mix of en-suite bedrooms, studios and accessible bedrooms. In addition, there will be a main reception, large communal common rooms, management facilities, cycle racks and a laundry.

Alumno Developments, established in 2006, partner with universities, colleges and other stakeholders to provide high quality living space for over 4,000 students across the UK including London, Birmingham, Norwich, Glasgow and St Andrews.

Alumno deliver distinct and sensitive designs, carefully engaging with local residents to integrate their developments for the benefit of the existing community.

The Durham Times ran the news about the ground breaking event.