McLaren Construction Midlands and North is making impressive progress on a major student accommodation development at 77 Talbot Street, Nottingham, with the £25.8m project set to welcome students by September 2025.

The nine-storey building, designed by Leonard Design Architects, is being constructed on the site of a former five-storey office block previously occupied by Domestic and General. The company relocated to a new development on Station Street, allowing for the redevelopment of the Talbot Street site. Demolition of the old structure began in April 2023, with construction work officially kicking off in September.

Once completed, the development will provide 323 high-quality en-suite bedrooms designed for student living, alongside a range of premium amenities. These will include a gym, yoga room, social study areas, and a cinema room on the ground floor. The upper floors will feature premium studio apartments with expansive floor plans and panoramic views of Nottingham, offering an exceptional living experience for students.

Sustainability is a key focus for the project, which is targeting a BREEAM Excellent rating. The development incorporates sustainable features such as traditional foundations into Nottingham’s sandstone bedrock, and has adhered to strict planning conditions, including cave probing to safeguard the local environment.

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The roof structure has now been completed, marking a significant milestone in the project’s timeline. In autumn 2023, McLaren Construction also opened a marketing suite on Talbot Street, providing prospective students with a chance to view mock-ups of the high-quality finishes and amenities to be featured in the building. Internally, the accommodation has seen updates to finishes, including feature walls and enhanced soft furnishings, designed to elevate the living experience for students.

In keeping with its commitment to sustainability and social value, McLaren Construction has sourced around 40% of the workforce for the Talbot Street project locally. The company has also worked closely with both the University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University to provide work experience placements for students and hosted two educational visits to the site, where civil engineering students learned about health and safety practices as well as the technical aspects of the project.

McLaren has maintained strong community engagement throughout the project, keeping nearby businesses informed and minimising disruption through careful construction logistics. The team is also collaborating with Nottingham City Council to provide new outdoor staff facilities for Huntingdon Academy.

The project team has been actively involved in supporting local charitable initiatives, including raising £406 for the Lighthouse Charity during the Nottingham Half Marathon and participating in Save the Children’s Christmas Jumper Day. Additionally, the team hosted a mental health talk in collaboration with the Strong Men charity, which focused on bereavement support for construction workers, with plans for a follow-up session in early 2025.

Looking ahead, the team is focused on completing internal finishes, installing furniture and carpeting on the upper floors, and removing scaffolding to reveal the building’s brick and cladding façade. External paving works are set to be completed by summer 2025, ensuring the development will be ready for the new academic year.

The Talbot Street development is set to provide high-quality, modern accommodation for Nottingham's growing student population, while also contributing positively to the local community and economy.