THIS artist’s impression shows stylish student accommodation on the site of what was once one of Oxford’s cheapest car parks.

Until April residents were able to save money by paying only £8 to park all day at the Osney Lane car park.

Now Winvic Construction staff are working on a 515- bedroom development for student accommodation provider Student Castle.

This forms the first phase of the Oxpens scheme, with further residential and commercial development planned separately by Oxford City Council and Nuffield College

(OxWED).

Mark Jones, a Winvic’s director, said: “We will be using innovative construction materials, liaising with a large number of stakeholders, negotiating the bordering railway and creating a high-spec and quality finish during the fit-out. Student Castle is another complex scheme that requires the skills we have in abundance, which can be added to Winvic’s ever growing list of multi-room projects.”

The accommodation, close to the railway station, will feature student flats, one bed and two-bedroom studios and will be completed by the summer of 2020.

Buildings in the three main blocks will range from five to six storeys and will also house a gym, games area, lounge, private meeting rooms, roof terraces and a store for 290 bikes.

Inspiration for the external design has been taken from Oxford’s rich medieval history and its famous college quadrangles, and will feature courtyards, gardens, cloisters and colonnades.

Four storeys on the north side of block A will be cantilevered and the development’s façade will be created from glass reinforced concrete panels.

Glass-reinforced concrete is an innovative, BREEAM A+ rated material that is approximately 80 per cent lighter than pre-cast steel reinforced concrete cladding and is more environmentally friendly, due to the reduced carbon dioxide emissions during the manufacturing process.

The scheme is the first project to be created within the large redevelopment of the Oxpens area which, when complete, will include commercial, leisure and community uses.

The Student Castle development’s open spaces will form ‘green links’ to the city centre, as well as to Oxpens Meadow next to the ice rink and beyond.

Jacqui Hawthorn, chief operating officer at Student Castle Limited, added: “Since 2010 Student Castle has opened schemes in Bristol, Cambridge, Cardiff, Edinburgh, London, Manchester, Newcastle and York, each one tailored to the city and its students. An additional three sites are under construction in Oxford, Durham and Brighton, completing in 2019/20 respectively.”

Ms Hawthorn said Student Castle placed great emphasis on “securing the most suitable and sustainable locations for their prospective students, and also provide accommodation which is designed and managed in a way that meets the needs of students on-site”.

She added: “This allows prospective students the opportunity to live in modern and safe accommodation within close proximity to their college, while also ensuring that students get the most out of their university experience. We have shown innovation within this sector.”