Poly and posh to share new halls

Brand-spanking student accommodation in the city centre will be for both Newcastle and Northumbria uni.

And its residents will be a stone’s throw away from both the Diamond Strip and the Pink Triangle.

Property developers Centreland have been given the go ahead to build accommodation that will house 249 students on Westgate Road.

Could the halls inspire love between the unis?

The plot was once home to the eyesore that was Westgate House, which after a petition for its demolition, was knocked down seven years ago.

The plot has stood empty and derelict ever since. The unoccupied Norwich House building next door will also  become part of the development.

The new accommodation, developed under the VitaBrand, will be opposite Central Station and next to the Union Room’s pub.

Or will it spark the rivalry?

Newcastle City Council’s planning department has been at the forefront of making the city an even greater draw for students, with the creation or redevelopment of 45 student halls since 2008.

News of the development has come not long after Northumbria Uni topped the charts for its student accommodation.

Students will be able to mix with those not just from their own uni, but from their rivals too – that should make Poly v Posh just a bit more interesting…