Stanhope House not finished 75 days after University of Portsmouth students were due to move in

A TOWER block remains unfinished 75 days after it was due to fully open.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Fresh concerns have been raised over Stanhope House, run by Prime Student Living, as floors 16 to 18 have not yet been completed.

And University of Portsmouth students living in the lower floors at the 19-storey block do not yet have access to communal rooms.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

As reported, students were forced to live in hotels when the 256-bed Crosslane Student Developments building did not open in mid-September ready for term.

Stanhope House on October 15. Picture: Habibur RahmanStanhope House on October 15. Picture: Habibur Rahman
Stanhope House on October 15. Picture: Habibur Rahman
Read More
Teenage University of Portsmouth students living out of boxes surviving on 'take...

Contractor RGB Group previously told The News the building would be finished by October 21.

A spokesman for Prime said the firm expects to receive the remaining floors in their control by today. This would then pave the way for students to move in.

People living in the block have already been asked to book a 51-week tenancy for the 2020/21 academic year.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Prices for the cheapest and most expensive rooms have increased - from £154 and £211 to £159 and £212. The majority of rooms have decreased in cost.

The Prime spokesman said: ‘We have asked the construction contractor to prioritise the completion of bedrooms to allow students to move into their rooms within the building as quickly as possible.

‘This has meant the communal areas have not yet been finished, but they are very close to being so. Residents have been given an inconvenience payment to compensate them for not being able to access these spaces temporarily.’

Residents had access to the Energie Fitness gym next door but have lost this as it shuts today. They now have been given memberships to Pure Gym in Arundel Street.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

And they have been without hot water on occasion when a fire alarm is triggered for tests - with the building’s plumbing switching off the boiler automatically.

The spokesman added: ‘We are working extremely hard to get all remaining students into their rooms as soon as we possibly can.’

Thursday marked 75 days since the around £30m building was due to open on September 14.

In October Professor Graham Galbraith, university vice-chancellor, said his institution had put aside a £50,000 contingency fund to pay for costs incurred by the private firms’ delay.

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.