DLA Piper has acted for Knightsbridge Student Housing on its £28 million acquisition of a student housing scheme in Southampton from BY Developments Limited, who controlled the Site under a contract with the Site Owner, Southampton City Council.

Situated on St Mary’s Road, the scheme will include 467 student flats as well as 3,100 square feet of retail space and is set for completion in September 2016.

DLA Piper partners Stephen Blacksell and Ian Doig led respectively on the Real Estate and Construction aspects of the transaction, assisted by Ben Rogers and Lynne Auchterlonie. All are based in DLA Piper's Sheffield office.

Stephen Blacksell said: "We are very pleased to have advised Knightsbridge Student Housing on its successful acquisition which adds to the portfolio of assets along the South Coast which Knightsbridge now has in its development pipeline to include schemes in Bournemouth, Brighton, Portsmouth and Plymouth, as well as a further scheme in Southampton, on which we have also acted."

Knightsbridge Student Housing has entered into a development agreement with Bouygues to deliver the St Mary's scheme, which received planning permission in September 2014.