THIS is how the private student accommodation element of the £200 million Preston Barracks project in Brighton will look.

U+I, the specialist regeneration developer and investor, has started work with Scape Student Living.

There will be 555 student beds in Lewes Road.

Henry Construction has been appointed to construct this part of the development.

Work on site began last month and will be completed by summer 2020. It will provide student accommodation to help address a widely recognised shortfall in the city.

There is a mixture of cluster and studio rooms alongside shared lounge and kitchen spaces.

This is part of a £200 million masterplan delivered by U+I in partnership with the University of Brighton and Brighton & Hove City Council.

The aim is to create a thriving new quarter and more than 1,500 new jobs, contributing more than half a billion pounds to the economy.

Proposals for the Preston Barracks and University of Brighton Moulsecoomb Campus sites include new homes, employment space, student accommodation, academic buildings, a new car park, shops, cafes and leisure facilities.

Sarah Chitty, development manager at U+I, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Scape Student Living on this next phase of our development at Preston Barracks.

“Partnership is central to our work at U+I and Preston Barracks is a fantastic example of how partnering with others from the public and private sector can help deliver complex mixed-use regeneration which will benefit the community.”

U+I’s partnership with Scape and Henry Construction marks the start of the second phase of work.

In July, Graham Construction was appointed to construct a 50,000 sq ft entrepreneurial hub.

This building has been designed to provide affordable and flexible workspace and prototyping facilities for start-ups and SMEs from Brighton and beyond.

The final element of the Preston Barracks development, the construction of more than 360 new homes, is due to start next year.

Tom Ward, Global CEO of Scape, said: “Scape Brighton marks our first entry into the Brighton market.

“We are delighted to be bringing our innovative service led brand of student living to this wonderful city.

“We very much look forward to working closely with Brighton’s leading Higher Education Institutions and building a world class environment to enhance students living experience in the city.”

The University of Brighton, is building a new multi storey car park on the Watts car park site.

It will start construction of new university-managed student accommodation on its Moulsecoomb campus at the end of January.