Student accommodation a key market for Balfour Beatty

Balfour Beatty is targeting the student accommodation market at home and abroad as a key growth sector.

The firm yesterday said it had been appointed preferred bidder for a mixed-use development contract, worth an estimated £330 million, with the University of West Florida.

It involves building a range of facilities, from accommodation to a new football stadium over the 10-year contract period.

Meanwhile it announced it had achieved financial close on the £63m Holyrood Postgraduate Student Accommodation and Outreach Centre project for Edinburgh University and the £45m residences project for Aberystwyth University.