Delayed student flats 'should be completed in summer'

Construction on the Deakin's Yard scheme is due to be completed in time for the new academic year, according to developer Integritas

A block of student flats, which has been under construction for seven years, should finally be completed later this summer, according to the developer.

Integritas Property Group has submitted plans to add external cladding at the Deakin’s Yard scheme, previously known as the Sky Building, in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

Work is expected to be completed in August on the six-storey building, which features prominently in the town centre and had been criticised as an eyesore.

Integritas, which took over the project last year, said the proposed design changes would allow it to finish the project in time for the new academic year.

As well as the cladding, alterations are set to be made to the area outside the building to allow the addition of a basement fire escape.

Once completed, Deakin’s Yard will provide 273 student flats.

Plans have been lodged to add cladding to the building

Work on the project began in 2017 but ground to a halt after the original developer ran out of money.

The half-completed building remained an eyesore for several years, and previous attempts to restart the work stalled due to long drawn-out disputes with investors.

In an update posted on its website last month, Integritas said Deakin’s Yard was proceeding on schedule, with the building increasingly resembling the finished article.

The firm said work was now taking place seven days a week, with up to 80 builders working on-site each day.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.