The first residential buildings of the major West Slope development have reached a significant milestone, with Phase 1 now officially complete and ready to welcome their first student residents later this month.
Last week the University received building control sign-off and confirmation of practical completion for the first phase, allowing our estates colleagues to access the buildings and make final preparations ahead of student arrivals and the start of the new academic year.
The first accommodation comprises 376 ensuite rooms across three buildings – Graffham House, Newick House and Saxby House. The rooms are single ensuite bedrooms arranged in flats of six to eight students, including four accessible rooms.
The handover marks a major step forward for West Slope, which will ultimately create just under 2,000 new student bedspaces, meaning more new and returning students can live on campus, with accommodation, teaching, support services and social spaces and other facilities within easy reach.
Saxby House will also be home to the West Slope accommodation reception, as well as laundry facilities and secure cycle storage.
Further accommodation will open in September 2027 and 2028, with the later phases providing a wider mix of accommodation, including shared-bathroom rooms, two-bedroom family flats and fully adaptable rooms with carers’ accommodation, as well as a supermarket and other spaces
The residential handover follows another important milestone earlier this year, when the new Health and Wellbeing Centre became the first completed and operational building within West Slope. The centre officially opened in June, bringing together the University’s wellbeing services and the campus NHS GP practice in a purpose-built facility. It is designed to make support easier to access for students, while continuing to provide NHS services .
The completion of the first residential phase represents a significant moment for the West Slope project – and, for the first time, the new buildings are about to become homes rather than a construction site.