Real estate firm secures student housing approval

A real estate operator is set to transform an ex-Job Centre into £4.2 million student housing.

Ashbrookes Inspired has secured planning approval to create an 84-apartment base in Sunderland.

The venture will replace a Department for Work and Pensions site in Sunniside, with bosses saying it will help “tackle the pressing shortage of student accommodation in the city”.

Construction work on the 1700sq metre building – which will also include a gym and a commercial unit operated by Ashbrookes Inspired’s sister company Ashbrookes Estate Agents – is planned to start in the coming weeks.

The project adds to Ashbrookes’ student property portfolio, which was bolstered earlier this week by planning approval for a 16-apartment scheme in Middlesbrough’s Linthorpe Assembly Rooms.

Arif Mushtaq, chief executive of Ashbrookes Group, which oversees Ashbrookes Inspired and Ashbrookes Estate Agents, said: “This development not only helps tackle the pressing shortage of student accommodation in the city, but plays a part in its ongoing regeneration too.

“By introducing modern, energy-efficient student living and commercial space, we’re proud to be contributing to Sunderland’s economic and educational future.”

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