Verto's zero-carbon Halo Village PBSA gets the green light

Verto, a sustainable PBSA developer, has secured planning permission for Halo Village in Falmouth, the world's first zero-carbon PBSA community. This development will provide accommodation and amenities for over 1,800 students, supporting the UK’s net-zero targets.

Halo Village will feature 1,858 en-suite and studio beds, including 97 wheelchair-accessible units, a social hub, a study hub, student services, and a reception centre. It will also offer amenities for the local community, such as a doctor's surgery, leisure facilities, business units, and sustainable transport infrastructure.

The project will address the housing needs of students from Exeter and Falmouth universities at the Tremough Campus in Penryn, freeing up private homes for local families and workers. Falmouth's high number of HMOs, driven by its large student population, underscores the necessity of this development, which aims to support the university’s growth targets for 2030.

Constructed to the highest environmental standards, Halo Village will achieve net-zero carbon status and enhance local biodiversity, creating a 35% net gain in habitats. The project will also boost Falmouth’s economy, generating over £100 million in gross value added and creating 1,550 construction jobs and 350 permanent jobs. Since acquiring the site in 2019, Verto has collaborated with local authorities and communities to refine the project, with construction set to begin in October 2024.

"We are proud to be delivering the world's first zero-carbon student community to service both Exeter and Falmouth universities. Our team has the experience and expertise to develop Halo Village to be operationally zero carbon, while also tackling the embodied carbon that comes with the construction process, reducing carbon wherever we can and committing to offset anything left over."

Richard Pearce, Co-Founder, Verto

"The approval for this development is a significant step forward as we bring much needed accommodation for students, freeing up local properties and delivering new amenities for use by the whole community. The later-than-planned construction start, which has delayed the economic boost of new jobs, businesses and a doctor's surgery, could have been avoided. We would urge local councillors to consider the needs of communities and the environment before preventing important developments such as Halo Village."

Tom Carr, Co-Founder, Verto