Regional universities are rushing to find space in London for new student courses and collaborations with companies, according to a new study.
Figures from property news and data company CoStar shows non-London universities have taken 350,000 sq ft of office space in the capital over the past three years. That is more than double the 152,000 sq ft of the previous three years
Recent deals include Teesside University taking 26,000 sq ft at Here East in Stratford, and the University of Wales Trinity Saint David leasing 46,000 square feet at 1 Westferry Circus in Docklands.
But the biggest was Sheffield Hallam University’s preleasing of 110,000 sq ft at Related Argent and Barnet Council’s Brent Cross Town development in north London.
Other examples in recent years include York St John University and the University of West of Scotland taking a combined 38,000 sq ft at Clove Crescent in Docklands and Coventry University taking a combined 55,000 sq ft across three buildings in Vauxhall and Greenwich.
The study from CoStar said: “The motivation behind these London expansions is varied but mainly involve promoting courses and enrolments to a wider pool of students, particularly international students that pay the highest fees, as well as offering access to London’s wealth of start-ups and major corporates for collaboration purposes.”
London-based universities have also expanded their presence in recent years. One of the biggest office lettings in the early months of the pandemic was by Queen Mary University of London, which leased a 55,000 sq ft building in Croydon. London South Bank University subsequently took 56,000 sq ft in Mile End in east London in 2021.
