Downing snaps up Brighton site for development

Downing has acquired the former Bennett’s field car park by the Amex Stadium in Brighton, following a successful planning application at the end of last year.In the last two months, the company has bought four UK sites spanning Bristol, Newcastle and North Acton, as well as Brighton, for a total £50m.The most recently purchased site will enable Downing to bring forward a new PBSA student accommodation scheme for the University of Sussex, University of Brighton, British & Irish Modern Music Institute, Greater Brighton Metropolitan College, East Sussex College Lewes and other local high education providers.The site will consist of 555 student rooms, which are made up of 130 self-contained studio apartments, 397 student cluster rooms, 18 accessible studios and ten cluster rooms.Paul Houghton, director at Downing, said: “Off the back of our other latest acquisition in Bristol, we are enjoying a strong start to 2024.”Downing is committed to providing high-quality and modern accommodation that supports the needs of students, and we want to increase our footprint right across the length of the country.”We are proud of our strong track record in creating vibrant and sustainable communities that allow students to thrive, with Brighton set to be no exception.”