Planners for Manchester City Council have given the green light to Vita Group’s development for a debut House of Social student scheme on First Street.

The development will help to relieve some of the strains on the student housing sector which has seen critically short supply in recent years.

As a part of the First Street masterplan, which will also see additional office space to the area, the new House of Social development will see 576 student beds covering 14-storeys, which will comprise of 100 cluster apartments each catering to either five or six bedrooms each.

Designed by Tim Groom Architects, House of Social will also feature a 14,000 sqft ground floor communal food hall open to both residents in the building and to the wider public. The food hall will feature a central bar along with five independent kitchens.

The ground floor food hall space will be activated with social events, whilst residents will also have access to other amenities including a state-of-the-art gym.

Max Bielby, Chief Operating Officer for Vita Group said: “Vita Group has a proven track record for delivering industry leading student residences through Vita Student. Our newly approved application for the first House of Social development addresses the fact that no two students are the same, and as such offers an alternative form of student living that encourages student socialising among themselves whilst engaging with the local community in a prime city centre location.”