Former Belfast media headquarters to make way for student housing development

Property development company South Bank Square has confirmed that it has submitted a planning application for the major purpose-built student accommodation at Fanum House.

Set to be known as The Grattan, the new build on Great Victoria Street on the former Golden Mile will include 594 bedrooms, a café, residents lounge, fitness suite, business hub and landscaped roof terrace.

The proposal will include the demolition of the vacant 11-storey office building.

​Fanum House was formerly the Belfast headquarters for newspapers and media including the Irish Times, RTE and Sky, with its rooftop the setting for many TV reports during the Troubles, most memorably by RTE on Bloody Friday back in 1972.

The plans were first unveiled in November when a pre-application notice was submitted.

Martin Mallon, who is the managing director of South Bank Square, said: “Following a thorough community consultation process we are pleased to submit our full planning application for The Grattan, bringing an opportunity to provide much-needed student accommodation whilst also significantly building on recent revitalisation work in the Great Victoria Street and Dublin Road areas.

“We now hope for a timely progression through Belfast City Council’s planning procedures to enable us to address the pressing need for additional student rooms, and to help regenerate this critical area south of the city centre.”

South Bank added that the Grattan is a major financial investment in Belfast by the company and will provide much-needed high quality student beds in a prime location close to the new Belfast Grand Central Station, and within walking distance of both universities.

Watch: Inside the new £200m Belfast Grand Central Station as work enters final phase

The development will also generate hundreds of new jobs during the construction and operational phases of the project.

In 2020 South Bank announced that it would be redeveloping the site into 210 new apartments in a £45m development, which would also be known as The Grattan.

This followed an application submitted in 2011 for the development of a 15-storey 173 bedroom hotel with a basement at the 110 Great Victoria Street site.

Belfast has seen a flurry of student accommodation developments in recent years.

Last week it was revealed that Norwich Union House, located between Castle Street and Fountain Street, could be knocked down to make way for student accommodation.

The building was initially due to be developed to make way for a mixed-use scheme to include a hotel.

Planning permission was granted by the council last week for tech firm Kainos’ Bankmore Exchange HQ on Dublin Road and for Queen’s University to build student accommodation next to the Kainos building

As well as Botanic Studio apartments nearby at 78-86 Dublin Road, and the recently completed 253 bed student block Aster House at University Road, plans have been submitted for an 11 storey student block with 210 bedrooms at the site of Filthy McNastys, 41-49 Dublin Road.

And further along Great Victoria Street, at Bruce Street, is another recently completed 15 storey student accommodation building, housing 271 self-contained studios.