A CONSTRUCTION company has got the green light to start work on a £130 million contract to deliver 1,480-bed student accommodation.

GRAHAM confirmed that funds can now be released so the work on the University of York project can start after it announced it had reached financial close this week.

The privately-owned company is also an investor as part of a consortium with Equitix – a fund manager of core infrastructure assets.

Construction for the venture, which has been designed by architects Sheppard Robson, is expected to be completed in time for the 2022 academic year.

The scheme forms a key part of the university’s Campus Masterplan – a framework for how it will develop its ‘campus of the future’.

The designs have already been approved by planners following a consultation.

Neil McFarlane, strategic projects director at GRAHAM, said: “This is an exciting step forward for the University of York’s ambitious plans to deliver a new kind of campus for its academic community. We have considerable experience of working in the higher education sector and we will draw on this knowledge to deliver high-quality accommodation for the student body.

“We’re proud to be associated with such a talented project team who are as excited as we are to get started and bring the university’s vision to life.”

GRAHAM specialises in delivering award-winning building, civil engineering, interior fit-out, facilities management and investment projects.

Its has an annual turnover of £735 million (2019), and operates from a network of 23 regional offices throughout the UK and Ireland with more than 2,200 employees.