£113m funding unlocks major Royal Albert Dock student accommodation regeneration
- constructnetuk
- Jul 6
- 1 min read
A major regeneration project at London’s Royal Albert Dock has taken a significant step forward after £113 million of funding was secured to transform a long-vacant office complex into more than 1,000 purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) bedrooms.
The funding package, agreed between Firma Partners and DPK Group, will support the conversion of approximately 450,000 sq ft of vacant commercial space into 1,085 student bedrooms. Once complete, the scheme is expected to have a gross development value (GDV) of around £300 million.
Located within East London’s Royal Docks, the project will repurpose 20 existing office buildings that have remained largely vacant since the collapse of former developer ABP in 2022.
Rather than demolishing the buildings, the development will focus on refurbishing and fitting out the existing structures, helping reduce embodied carbon while accelerating delivery through the reuse of the existing building fabric.
Construction is expected to take around 18 months, with completion targeted for the third quarter of 2027.
The scheme reflects the growing trend of converting underutilised office buildings into residential uses as demand for student accommodation continues to outstrip supply across London. It also marks another significant milestone in the ongoing regeneration of the Royal Docks, one of the capital’s largest Opportunity Areas.
