Tribe - Greenwich Quay

Meeting the need for student accomodation

At present, there is a shortfall of over 10,000 Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) rooms in the area surrounding Greenwich Quay. That means over 10,000 students have been driven into sometimes unsuitable, unmanaged, not fit for purpose, and increasingly scarce private rented accommodation.

In some cases, students are forced to defer a year or study at an alternative Higher Education Institution when appropriate student accommodation is not available, as was highlighted by the BBC earlier this year.

This is especially true for first years and students with special needs and disabilities, for whom purpose built student accommodation is the often the only appropriate housing option.

Such profound and significant disruption to the lives of students is entirely avoidable, and can be prevented by building purpose built student accommodation where it is needed.

Freeing up residential properties locally

The provision of c. 640 Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) bedspaces will free up a considerable number of residential units in the local area for local families.

Under the Mayor’s London Plan, the spatial development strategy for the capital, 2.5 PBSA bedspaces are equivalent to one residential unit.

Therefore, the provision of c. 640 PBSA bedspaces at Greenwich Quay will free up c. 260 residential units of varying unit sizes for local families in Greenwich, easing demand and price pressures, aiding local families to secure suitable accommodation.

Providing affordable student accommodation

Of the c. 640 PBSA units to be delivered as part of the Tribe Greenwich Quay scheme, 35% will be provided on an affordable basis.

Affordable student rents are set by the Mayor at a level equal to or below 55 per cent of the maximum income that a student in London living away from home could receive from the Government’s Maintenance Loan scheme for that academic year.

Curbing anti-social behaviour

Students living in private rented accommodation are subject to considerably less supervision than in managed facilities, meaning there can be a higher prevalence of anti-social behaviour when students are not housed in the correct place.

Greenwich Quay will be managed by an on-site team in place 24/7, and the behaviour of students at the development will be controlled to ensure there is a high level of respect for neighbours, including the management of external amenity spaces and public realm areas to ensure students are not conducting themselves in an anti-social way.

The presence of high quality indoor amenity spaces will ensure that students have places to gather and socialise that do not impact external areas and neighbouring residents.