Unite forms partnership with Connaught

Unite, the developer and manager of student accommodation, has signed a joint venture agreement with Connaught, creating Unite Connaught Services (UCS).

UCS will be responsible for providing reactive and planned maintenance services across Unite’s managed estate.

The partnership takes effect from the beginning of May and forms part of the group’s operational Blueprint programme, which is targeting total costs savings of £10m across Unite’s operational portfolio. 

The partnership with Connaught was initiated in 2008, with a trial across London, which led to improved service delivery and reduced costs within Unite’s reactive and planned maintenance works.

John Tonkiss, Unite’s chief operating officer, said: “We are delighted to be working with Connaught, who we selected as our partner due to their extensive facilities management experience and developed service proposition and IT platforms.” 

Unite is operating accommodation for 36,700 customers in 23 university towns and cities across England, Wales and Scotland. 

It undertakes the planning, development and management of sites, often working closely with the universities and colleges, in order to deliver student accommodation at affordable prices in strong higher education markets.

Unite manages a property portfolio valued at £2.9 billion on completion. 

The company aims to double the size of its UK business by 2012.