McLaren Property Wins Planning Approval for 291-Bed Student Housing Scheme in Hammersmith, Secures Imperial College London Nominations Agreement

McLaren Property has secured planning approval from the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham for a 291-bed purpose-built student accommodation scheme at 1–3 Sussex Place, Hammersmith, London W6 9EA. The developer has simultaneously entered into a nominations agreement with Imperial College London, providing the university with access to more than 100 affordable beds at the site, which sits immediately adjacent to Hammersmith station.

Development Details: Sussex Place, Hammersmith

The approved scheme, filed under planning reference P/2026/00633/FUL by McLaren Hammersmith Ltd., will replace an outdated office building on a brownfield site with a 14-storey purpose-built student accommodation building, including a basement level. The unit mix comprises 147 cluster-apartment bedrooms and 144 studios, totalling 291 beds.

Thirty-five percent of the accommodation will be provided at affordable rents — approximately 102 beds — with the Imperial College London nominations agreement directing more than 100 of those affordable beds to Imperial students. The university's South Kensington, White City and Hammersmith Hospital campuses are all within close proximity of the site.

Designed by WGP Architects, the building will include a landscaped courtyard garden, a skywalk roof terrace and biodiversity enhancements. The development is targeting a BREEAM Excellent sustainability rating and will provide 204 cycle spaces. Hammersmith station, a major Underground and bus interchange, is a three-minute walk from the site, with bus connections two minutes away. Existing walking and cycling routes, including the Thames Path, will be enhanced as part of the scheme.

Imperial College London Nominations Agreement

The nominations agreement between McLaren Property and Imperial College London was developed with the support of the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham. It gives Imperial students access to affordable accommodation close to the university's South Kensington and White City Deep Tech campuses.

Clare Hebbes, Chief Property Officer at Imperial College London, said: "Imperial is pleased to have partnered with McLaren Property to secure a nomination agreement at Sussex Place Hammersmith. This partnership, developed with the support of Hammersmith & Fulham, allows us to secure high-quality, affordable accommodation for our students in close proximity to our South Kensington and White City Deep Tech campuses. Access to affordable student housing is essential in enabling students to come to London, succeed here, and go on to make a meaningful contribution to the industries of the future."

Ed Court, Divisional Managing Director at McLaren Property, said: "Our approved plans for Sussex Place will reinvigorate a strategically located site, creating a best-in-class student accommodation scheme that responds to the increasing demand for high-quality housing for London's student population. Furthermore, our agreement with Imperial underlines the continued demand for PBSA in Hammersmith. We look forward to delivering Sussex Place, providing exceptional accommodation that enhances the student experience."

Location and Demand Context

McLaren Property says the site's position adjacent to Hammersmith station places nearly 200,000 full-time students within a 45-minute commute, supporting the scheme's positioning as a centrally located residence accessible to universities and colleges across the capital. The brownfield redevelopment replaces an existing office building, aligning with London planning policy favouring the intensification and reuse of urban land.

The approval arrives in a UK student accommodation market characterised by structural undersupply. New purpose-built student accommodation delivery has not kept pace with student population growth in major university cities, and planning, funding and construction constraints continue to limit new bed delivery. London prime direct-let PBSA yields were approximately 4.50% net initial yield in early 2026, compared with roughly 5.25%–5.50% for comparable prime regional assets. The professionally managed UK student accommodation market was estimated at £84.8 billion in 2026, with indicative London occupancy reported at approximately 97%–99%.

The Imperial nominations agreement provides an institutional demand anchor for the affordable component of the scheme before construction is complete, while the site's transport connectivity supports broader leasing across the remaining market-rate beds.

McLaren Property's Wider PBSA Pipeline

The Sussex Place approval adds to McLaren Property's active living-sector development pipeline. The firm's published projects include a 737-bed PBSA scheme at Upper Brook Street in Manchester, with completion indicated for 2028, and a 290-home build-to-rent project at Watford Police Station, with completion indicated for 2029. McLaren Property also completed a 1,209-bed student scheme, iQ Longwood Place in Coventry, in September 2026. The developer previously submitted planning for a 332-bed student accommodation project in Leeds in 2023.

The Hammersmith approval reflects a broader strategy by McLaren Property to expand its living-sector platform across purpose-built student accommodation and build-to-rent, with a focus on constrained urban locations and university-linked demand.

Sources

McLaren Property — Sussex Place Planning Approval Announcement