Mercia Real Estate (MRE) announces that planning permission has been granted for a further 129 units at its ‘Haus’ student development at 12 Calthorpe Road, just off Five Ways, Birmingham.
MRE is currently investing £32 million in the conversion of part of the former HSBC office complex, creating 266 student beds. This initial phase is scheduled for practical completion in June 2026, with the building opening to students for the 2026/27 academic year.
With the additional planning consent, total bed numbers will increase to 395. Upon completion, MRE will have deployed over £45 million to the transformation of the building, further cementing the area around Five Ways as an established PBSA location located between BCU City South Campus, University of Birmingham and Birmingham City Centre alongside excellent transport connectivity.
Recently, MRE appointed global PBSA manager Yugo to operate the building. Yugo commented, “Haus is a great example of thoughtful reuse done properly: strong amenity, clear student focus, and an asset that’s built to perform operationally as well as experientially. We’re excited to bring Yugo’s student-first approach to Birmingham and to support Mercia as their PBSA portfolio grows.”
Samuel Clark, CEO of Mercia Real Estate, said, “Redeveloping existing buildings and previously developed land sits exactly alongside our proven value add strategy of adding value to bricks and mortar. Applying this ethos across both industrial and residential sectors, enabled by our capital partners, will continue in 2026.”
