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£130-million student accommodation at University of Hull gets green light

March 10th 2017

Lodestone Local, the strategic stakeholder engagement consultancy, is delighted to announce that exciting plans for £130-million student residences at the University of Hull have received unanimous approval from Hull City Council. The scheme, which will enhance and expand the student accommodation on campus, will offer a range of single rooms and one bedroom apartments to a further 1,462 students.

Community consultation experts Lodestone Local – a unit of Lodestone – lead on strategic communications, political liaison and community engagement for the project together with its client University Partnerships Programme (UPP). The scheme involved Lodestone Local developing and delivering communications plans for each stage of the various consultation phases. Additionally, it performed stakeholder audits and political analyses as part of its bespoke engagement strategy to support UPP.

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Jon Wakeford, Group Director, Strategy and Communications at UPP, commented: “UPP has been working with Lodestone since it launched. As our strategic partner of choice for all communication and public affairs activity for our scheme at the University of Hull, Lodestone has proved instrumental in assisting the Group to gain planning permission. Lodestone has impressed us with its responsive approach and capabilities on all fronts, and we look forward to continue working with them in future.”

Martha Dalton, Managing Director of Lodestone, said: “We were thrilled to work with UPP on this innovative scheme to offer student accommodation. From the outset, we sought to deliver a responsive, inclusive communications strategy that would encourage local communities to have their say. We provided strategic advice to help reduce planning risks and managed community consultations that spanned traditional and digital contexts.

“We are extremely proud the scheme will now get underway and look forward to our continued involvement. Huge congratulations to those at UPP and the University of Hull.”

Lodestone was set up 5 years ago by co-founders David Wild, Chairman; Mike Parker OBE, Director; Martha Dalton, Managing Director and Fran O’Leary, Director. Lodestone was listed within the top 15 public affairs agencies by PRWeek in 2016 and Managing Director Martha Dalton was included in the magazine’s ’30 Under 30’ listing of communications professionals who are bringing new innovation to the industry. Lodestone was shortlisted in 2016 for the PR Moments PA Firm of the Year and the PRCA’s City & Financial Strategic Campaign of the Year. The company has also been shortlisted for the PRCA’s 2017 Ethical Champions award.