West Park Student Residences Project
New West Park Student Residences
Demolition of Clydesdale Court
Demolition of Clydesdale
Birdseye view of bridge and courtyard
West Park Student Residences Project
The University is increasing student accommodation on Streatham Campus by building new and refurbished, student living facilities that provide an excellent on-campus living experience and reduces pressure on the University seeking third party accommodation providers in the city.
The West Park Student Residences project is creating new accommodation in the Clydesdale and Nash area and converting accommodation in the Birks Grange Village area from catered to self-catered.
This will include redeveloping the reception, catered dining halls and the Market Place Village Shop (Birks Grange Central Block) into further accommodation and amenity space including study, social and in-house commercial space. The catered Birks Grange blocks A-E will undergo a refurbishment and will provide modern self-catered accommodation once completed.
UPP has been appointed as the development partner to design, build, fund and operate the new accommodation.
Enhancing biodiversity and ecology in the area is an important aspect of the project. We are working with our development partners UPP to retain much of the mature woodland, plant double the amount of hedgerow that is currently in the area and plant over 200 trees. The new planting will include a mix of seasonal species to enhance biodiversity, and wildlife habitats will be greatly improved, including the installation of bat, bird and hedgehog boxes, and wood and stone piles to provide further habitats.
The Reserved Matters Planning Application for the project (ref: 22/1746/RES) was approved by Exeter City Council at a planning committee meeting in June 2023. This follows the scheme being granted Outline Planning consent (ref: 20/1684/OUT) in September 2021. A Minor Material Amendment to the planning application was approved in May 2024 (24/0184/VOC), the details of the amendment are in the tab below.
We have made adjustments to the design of Birks Block (A-E) and a new planning application for this Block was approved by Exeter City Council’s (24/1534/FUL).
We are working closely with UPP and their contractors Bouygues UK to plan the works and to minimise disruption to colleagues, students and visitors where possible. Bouygues UK are part of the Considerate Constructors scheme, which ensures they have high standards in managing risks, protecting the environment and positive relationships with the local community. This project is registered with the Considerate Constructors scheme and monitored in accordance with the scheme's code of considerate practice.
Construction work has begun in the Clydesdale, Nash and Birks Grange Village area of Streatham Campus this summer 2025.
We expect students to move in to Phase One of the new accommodation by September 2027, and Phase Two by September 2028.
West Park Public Information Sessions
The University and UPP hold public information sessions for local residents to find out more the project.
Project update
Next steps
We are working closely with our partners UPP and the construction team Bouygues UK on the programme of works. We expect the work to take place as follows:
Spring 2026:
- Ground works and piling (drilling into the ground to form foundations) will take place. Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) surveys will continue throughout this activity.
- Pre-cast walls, structures and staircases will be delivered and installed on site to form the accommodation blocks at Birks Central Block and GH Block at West Park.
Summer 2026 (and beyond):
- Ground works and piling will continue until the end of the summer and Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) surveys will continue throughout this activity.
- Drainage and slab work will take place throughout the West Park site and service installations will begin to connect West Park to Birks Grange.
- Pre-cast walls, structures and staircases will continue to be installed at Birks Central Block and GH Block at West Park.
We expect students to move in to Phase One (which includes Birks Central Block and Birks A-E, and two blocks on the West Park site) by September 2027, and Phase Two (the rest of the blocks on the West Park site) by September 2028.
On-street parking on Streatham Drive will remain closed to support safety in the area during the project.
Bouygues UK have secured a 90 space car parking area for their colleagues and sub-contractors near Exeter St David’s station for the duration of the project.
Barriers and signage will be in place throughout the works. Please follow all health and safety signage in the area. Below is a map of the West Park development area.
If you have any questions about the project, please get in touch with the project team at WestPark@exeter.ac.uk
Construction lookahead
Below are details of the construction work taking place for the next two weeks:
Please note, the dates and information are updated regularly but are subject to change at short notice, due to weather conditions and working with external contractors.
The construction work is taking place during normal working hours, Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm, and may also occur on the weekend as required.
|
Date |
Details |
Noise levels |
|
Wednesday 6 May to Saturday 16 May
|
Piling (drilling into the ground) and groundworks to form the foundations of the buildings will continue in the site area in front of Mardon Hall and the lower end of the West Park site. This will create ongoing medium noise and intermittent high noise. There will be an increase in large vehicles moving to and from the site for the next month. Internal demolition and installations will continue and scaffolding will be removed at Birks A-E Block. This will create intermittent medium to high noise in the area. The installation of the frame and pre-cast structures continues at Birks Grange Central Block. There will be an increase in large deliveries as the pre-cast structures arrive on site. The road outside of Block K is open to vehicles and the hoarding has been moved back to position around Birks Grange Central Block. |
Medium to High
|
We thank you for your patience and cooperation during the construction of the new student accommodation on campus.
Social Value
As part of the West Park Student Residences project, our partner UPP and contractor Bouygues UK plan to complete the following actions:
- Mentorship & School Engagement: Partnering with local schools to run STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) workshops, site tours and career talks.
- Community Spaces: Donating time, materials, or expertise to improve parks, playgrounds, or community centres.
- Volunteering Days: Offering colleague time to support local charities, food banks, or environmental clean-ups.
- Inclusive Engagement: Hosting open days for residents to learn about the project and share feedback.
Since starting the project, Bouygues UK have been working closely with local schools, colleges and our university to provide apprenticeships, work experience placements and career mentoring, with the aim of supporting and investing in emerging talent across the region. Working closely with Exeter College, the team have welcomed a degree apprentice, management trainees and T Level students. The team have also developed relationships with local schools by supporting careers events, workshops promoting women in construction, and providing work experience opportunities.
Bouygues UK have also been supporting the local community, contributing over £1.8m to the supply chain since September 2025 and working on projects such as the refurbishment of Sylvania Hall in Exeter. Over the festive period, the team also supported two local community events at Beacon Heath and St James. Through team donations and fundraising, meals were provided for over 200 people, supporting community members and students to come together, connect with others, and share time with their families and friends.
To receive further updates on our social value work, you can sign up to our mailing list.
Contact us
If you have any queries or questions about the project please email WestPark@exeter.ac.uk and we will get back to you.
If there are any urgent issues on site, please contact the site manager Amber Gratton-Davey on 07345479453.