Fresh, which has been appointed to mobilise, market, lease and operate the 604-bed scheme, has fifteen years of experience in third-party management, with over 20,000 units across a range of rental living tenures currently within its remit across 27 cities and towns. Fresh currently operates over 60 student-living schemes, including one in central Edinburgh.

Mantle Yard, designed by Edinburgh-based Michael Laird Architects, is a former gasworks and naval yard being transformed into the largest private single-site student living scheme in the Scottish capital. The site’s heritage and role it played in lighting up Edinburgh when it was a gasworks inspired the name Mantle Yard; a mantle is an element of gas lights that were used across the city.

Mantle Yard is campus-style student living with six buildings around a landscaped central square and courtyard gardens, within walking distance of The Shore, in the heart of the sought-after Leith neighbourhood. Shared internal amenity spaces include study rooms, library, lounge, TV room, kitchen, gym and yoga spaces, with abundant cycle storage prioritising wellbeing and collaboration.

With construction well underway, led by McAleer & Rushe, completion is targeted ahead of the 2027/28 academic year.

Sarah Willoughby-Parsons, Head of Asset Management at HUB said:

“Mantle Yard is a truly exciting project for HUB, Bridges, HGP and Edinburgh. With demand for high-quality student accommodation continuing to grow, we’re proud to be delivering a scheme that not only meets that need but does so with ambition, design excellence, and a deep respect for the local context. Fresh brings a wealth of operational expertise, and we’re confident that it will help make Mantle Yard a thriving and well-managed community for students.”

Sam Scott, Managing Director at Fresh, said:

“We are delighted to be appointed to play a key role in bringing Mantle Yard to market. With our in-depth knowledge of the Edinburgh market and an understanding of the growing popularity of Leith, we are ideally positioned to successfully mobilise, market and operate this exciting property. Our proven track record and extensive experience in PBSA will ensure Mantle Yard is positioned for success.”

Alongside his professional career, Charlie is also a long-standing trustee of two charities, the Stone Family Foundation and Impetus, both of which have a focus on helping disadvantaged young people in the UK.

Bridges Inclusive Growth is a private equity strategy dedicated to investing in growing, cash-generative businesses delivering positive, measurable social outcomes for vulnerable groups in the UK. Current investments include New Reflexions, which provides care, therapy and education for disadvantaged young people, and Alina Homecare, which provides high-quality homecare for the elderly.

Emma Thorne, Partner and Co-head of Inclusive Growth, said: “We’re thrilled to welcome Charlie into the team. We have been looking to recruit an experienced private equity investor who is also deeply committed to our mission to achieve better outcomes for vulnerable people in the UK. Charlie fits the bill perfectly, and he is going to be a real asset to the team in the coming months and years.”

Charlie Edwards, Partner and Co-head of Inclusive Growth, said: “I have always believed that private equity investment is a powerful way to deliver positive social outcomes as well as attractive financial returns. So the opportunity to join a pioneering impact investment platform like Bridges – and its clearly differentiated Inclusive Growth strategy in particular – was very compelling. I’m looking forward to working with our existing portfolio, and identifying future opportunities to invest in highly impactful UK businesses across a range of sectors.”

The team – which will be called Bridges Climate Transition Partners – will continue to manage the existing Climate Growth Partners fund, which has already made 11 investments. HSBC AM will remain a limited partner and maintain its existing capital commitment in the fund, and also intends to be an anchor investor in a successor fund, to be established and managed by Bridges in due course.

As part of the Bridges platform, the team will continue to back scalable, commercially proven European and North American technology companies, with a focus on areas like energy transition, sustainable manufacturing and climate resilience. The team will also benefit from the support of Bridges’ in-house sustainability, impact and value creation specialists.

Michele Giddens, CEO and Co-Founder of Bridges Fund Management, said:
“We’re thrilled to welcome Christophe, Mike and their outstanding team into the Bridges family. Their expertise and passion for solutions that are accelerating the transition to a more sustainable economy align perfectly with our mission. We firmly believe that investing in innovative climate technologies is one of the most powerful ways to achieve positive impact at scale, and we’re delighted to be spinning in this proven, expert team to spearhead our effort.”

Christophe Defert, Head of Bridges Climate Transition Partners, added:
“Climate technologies – powered by advances in AI and material science – are driving an energy and industrial transformation. We back exceptional founders whose unique and scalable businesses will be critical to the transition to a more sustainable and resilient economy.  Joining Bridges is a natural next step: it allows us to keep building on the strong foundations and networks we’ve developed over the last decade, with the support of HSBC. Bridges’ entrepreneurial spirit, impact expertise and specialist support will complement this perfectly. Together, we believe we can scale this platform to deliver great outcomes for our investors, communities, and the planet.”

Joanna Munro, CEO Alternatives at HSBC Asset Management, added:
“Christophe, Mike and team have built a strong platform with a differentiated approach and a solid foundation for growth. Our ongoing relationship with Bridges will support the scaling of this strategy, while continuing to serve the interests of existing investors.”

Located at 10 Wyvil Road, the development will introduce Staycity’s boutique lifestyle brand, Wilde, to the wider Vauxhall/Nine Elms area. The property will include a design-led front-of-house with publicly accessible reception, bar, co-working space, café and pantry & artisan shop, creating a vibrant destination for visitors and the local community alike. The development will have a strong focus on sustainability, including onsite solar PV, air source heat pumps and green roofing.
The transaction marks a milestone for the three companies. For Staycity, it represents a significant structured development and investment transaction by the group’s real estate development arm; while it is also the first investment by Bridges and Citygrove in partnership.

Bridges Fund Management is a specialist fund manager focused on sustainable and impact investing. Since 2012, Bridges have developed over £2bn of assets across 70+ transactions, delivering attractive investment returns alongside positive social and environmental outcomes.

Barry Hickey, Managing Director of Staycity’s real estate arm, said: “In today’s volatile real estate market, to execute a transaction of this scale and complexity represents significant success. This is one of the very few hotel development transactions in London of scale in 2025, and testament to the investment confidence in Staycity Group. It has been a pleasure to complete our first transaction with Bridges Fund Management and we look forward to others in the future.”

Adam Amijee, Investment Manager at Bridges Fund Management, added: “We’re delighted to be partnering with Citygrove to regenerate this derelict office building and bring it back into economic use – drawing on our extensive experience of sustainable development to deliver measurable reductions in embodied and operational carbon. We’re also excited to be working with Staycity, who not only share our focus on ESG and sustainability, but also bring best-in-class operating expertise. We’re confident that together, we will deliver a modern, sustainable aparthotel that also creates jobs and supports local economic growth.”

Staycity and Bridges extend a special thanks to Tom Fuller & all the team at Citygrove Development Service, who played a significant role in the transaction.

Tom Fuller, Development Director at Citygrove, said: “This is a fantastic endorsement of Staycity, and also Citygrove’s track record in the hotel sector. We are delighted to have secured planning consent on behalf of Staycity, and to be continuing the project to deliver a best-in-class sustainable Wilde aparthotel in partnership with Bridges.”

Addleshaw Goddard acted for Staycity in this transaction, while Taylor Wessing and JLL acted for Bridges.

Construction is expected to begin in summer 2026, with the new Wilde scheduled to open in early 2028.

Located at 45 Beech Street on the edge of the Barbican Estate, the adaptive reuse scheme will convert and extend a 1950s office building into 174 modern co-living homes, designed by Stirling Prize-winning architects Allford Hall Monaghan Morris (AHMM).

It will be the first project in HUB and Bridges’ expanding co-living portfolio that the partners plan to build and hold, drawing on Bridges’ extensive experience of owning and operating real estate assets. In line with HUB and Bridges approach to co-living, the landmark scheme will provide the UK’s most central homes of this type and much-needed accommodation for City workers.

With strip-out of the existing building complete and enabling works underway, construction is expected to start following Gateway 2 approval. An application to the Regulator will be submitted in the coming weeks, with practical completion targeted for 2028.

To support this next phase of delivery, Firma Partners has provided a development loan for the project, with BBS Capital advising the parties in securing debt.

Sustainability is central to the project, which will reuse 90% of the existing building’s substructure and 65% of the superstructure, delivering a 34% embodied carbon saving compared to a new build scheme of a similar scale. An impressive 99.8% of materials have been recycled through the strip-out process.

Cornerstone will deliver the first professionally managed co-living homes in the City of London to support its dynamic workforce, which is one of the youngest, most highly skilled and international in the UK. In addition to 49,000 sq ft of living space, Cornerstone will offer residents 8,000 sq ft of shared amenities including co-working spaces, a gym, café, laundry, communal lounges and a roof terrace.

Cornerstone will be visually in keeping with the surrounding Barbican area and contribute to its revitalisation and activation. The location puts residents within a few minutes’ walking distance of Barbican, Farringdon and Moorgate stations, right in the heart of the City’s Culture Mile. The Elizabeth Line connection makes it a particularly attractive option for people working across London’s business districts.

Damien Sharkey, Managing Director at HUB, said: “We’re starting the year with strong momentum behind this landmark project and look forward to seeing it progress throughout 2026. Not only is Cornerstone our first co-living scheme in the City of London, but it is the first asset within our ultra-urban co-living portfolio that Bridges and HUB plan to retain beyond PC and operating. We see enormous potential in the sector and its role in shaping the future of urban living, and we are excited to see the benefits it will bring to the City of London upon completion.”

Simon Ringer, Head of Bridges Property Funds, said: “We are delighted to be undertaking this environmentally focused refurbishment project with our long-term partner HUB. Our funds have now secured positions in a platform of co-living schemes in prime locations in London, and we look forward to building these out for operation in a market that is starved of high-quality, flexible residential accommodation. By converting redundant office space to modern standards, we are also able to implement an environmental strategy that will significantly reduce carbon emissions, in accordance with our Fund objectives.”

Victor Librae, Chief Executive of Firma Partners, said: “We’re delighted to support Bridges and HUB on this landmark scheme. They are very experienced and have a strong track record. 45 Beech Street is a well-located, residential-led scheme that reflects the type of transitional, planning-led development we are set up to support. The structure of this facility has been designed to align with the realities of delivery and leasing in today’s market, while providing the sponsor with the flexibility needed to navigate the complexities of the Gateway system.”

Alina is a portfolio company of Bridges’ Inclusive Growth, part of Bridges’ private equity strategy. This strategic appointment comes as Alina continues to expand its footprint and enhance its service delivery across the health and social care sector.

David Hill, Chair of Alina Homecare, said:
“I’m delighted to be joining Alina at such an important moment in the company’s development. The team’s unwavering commitment to delivering quality of care and sustainable growth is inspiring, and I look forward to working closely with James and the Board to further the ‘Alina Difference’ and address the increasing need for high-quality care at home.”

James Deeley, CEO of Alina Homecare, said:
“We are delighted to welcome David to the team during this exciting phase of our journey. His deep knowledge of multi-site consumer-focused businesses and his track record of delivering impact in fast-paced environments will be invaluable as we continue to scale our operations and provide exceptional care to our clients.”

Emma Thorne, Partner & Head of Inclusive Growth at Bridges, added:
“Alina Homecare plays an essential role in enabling older adults across the UK to live independently at home, with a strong focus on quality of care that is rooted in exceptional staff training and engagement. David’s experience of working with private equity-backed growth companies will be hugely additive to Alina in this next phase of its development, and we look forward to working with him, James and the Alina team.”

Bridges and Alina Homecare would also like to express their sincere thanks to Alina co-founder Fergus Kee, who is stepping down as Chair after playing a central role in Alina’s growth and development over the last twelve years.

Click on the image below to read the report. We’d love to know what you think!

The Bridges Impact Foundation is funded primarily by the Bridges team, who donate 10% of all their profits from the firm’s investment funds. Through its core areas of venture philanthropy, seed-funding and market-building, and by harnessing and amplifying the philanthropic efforts of the Bridges team, the Foundation aims to provide catalytic support for innovative solutions that drive better outcomes for underserved people and the planet.

Decarbonising real estate is essential to achieving the Paris Agreement goals. The built environment accounts for a significant share of global emissions, so the sector must play a leading role in reducing carbon.

Yet for investors, the path to decarbonisation is often unclear. Different standards and benchmarks across regions, inconsistent terminology and a lack of focus on embodied carbon make it difficult to compare assets and prioritise interventions.

Our Spectrum is designed to help navigate some of this complexity. The framework categorises assets into four levels of carbon performance, based on actual performance vs Science‑Based Targets, and provides practical steps to accelerate progress. It covers both operational and embodied carbon, ensuring a holistic approach to decarbonisation.

The ultimate aim is True Zero Buildings: assets that achieve zero emissions across the full lifecycle, without offsets. This feels ambitious today. But we believe it is achievable through greater innovation and collaboration.

Developed with insights from our investor community and industry experts, the Spectrum is intended as a starting point for change. By sharing it, we hope to encourage more dialogue, more partnerships and more action across the market.

You can read our paper on the Spectrum below – after this short explainer video featuring Bridges’ Michele Giddens, Maggie Loo and Henry Pepper.

As part of the programme, our team championed careers in sustainable property and real estate, encouraging participants to think creatively about the future of their communities. Attendees were challenged to design a development for the local area, and the ideas presented were both innovative and insightful, demonstrating the talent and ambition of the next generation.

Supporting initiatives like WEST Career Zone aligns closely with Bridges’ mission to create positive social impact and nurture future leaders in the property sector. By engaging with young people and showcasing the opportunities available in sustainable development, we aim to help build a more inclusive and forward-thinking industry.

We extend our thanks and congratulations to the WEST Youth Zone team for organising such a successful event and look forward to continuing our work to inspire and connect ambitious young people with meaningful careers.

The team at WEST put together a fantastic video summary of the day, which you can watch below:

This will be challenging, to say the least. Britain has some of the oldest, most inefficient housing stock in the developed world. And building the millions of new homes needed to tackle the housing crisis will only add to the sector’s carbon footprint.

The good news is that domestic emissions have actually been falling consistently over the last two decades, thanks to improved insulation, grid decarbonisation and warmer weather. Technologies like air source heat pumps and rooftop solar may not have had the hoped-for impact yet, but they can still play an important role in reducing emissions – as can new AI-powered developments in renewables and grid efficiency. Using these technologies to retrofit the UK’s leaky old homes would make a huge difference.

Equally, new homes are much more efficient operationally – and thanks to AI tools that also make building design and construction more efficient, coupled with advances in materials technology, we should see the embodied carbon associated with new-builds fall over time.

Critically, this is not just an environmental issue. Making our homes more energy-efficient also makes them cheaper to run, future-proofed against new regulation and better protected against climate change-related risks. That makes them more attractive to future buyers. So lower-carbon housing is not just an ecological (or even social) imperative: it’s an opportunity to create long-term economic value.

With two decades of experience spanning real estate origination, capital-raising, financing, asset management and strategic business-building, Alex joins Bridges to support the continued expansion of its property investment platform.

Prior to joining Bridges, Alex set-up the UK operations of US-based Longfellow Real Estate Partners, building the team and leading its UK activities, including the raising of £1.5bn of JV capital from Norges Bank Investment Management and PSP Investments. Before that, he spent 15 years at Brockton, a London real estate investment and development firm, investing across a wide range of sectors and real estate-backed operating platforms.

At Bridges, Alex will lead the origination and execution of property investments, working with specialist partners and the in-house sustainability team to invest in property and property-backed operating businesses that align with Bridges’ mission of delivering both attractive financial returns and positive societal impact.

Simon Ringer, Partner, Head of Property Funds at Bridges Fund Management, said:
“We are delighted to welcome Alex to the Bridges team. His deep expertise in real estate investment, combined with his strategic vision and proven track record, will strengthen our property platform and help us identify more opportunities to create economic, social and environmental value for our investors and communities.”

Alex Wright, Partner, Bridges Property Funds, added:
“I am excited to join Bridges at what feels like an important moment in its growth story. I share the firm’s ethos that real estate can be a powerful force for positive change, and I look forward to working with the team to grow the business and deploy capital in a way that delivers both financial success and better outcomes for people and the planet.”

Bridges is a specialist in sustainable property investment. Since 2010, it has now raised over £1bn of institutional capital to invest in needs-driven sectors like housing, industrial/ logistics and healthcare – with a view to delivering attractive financial returns, supporting the decarbonisation of the built environment, and improving important social outcomes.

Located on Maskew Avenue, the scheme comprises three drive throughs, a self-storage unit, nine trade counter and nine industrial and warehouse units ranging from 2,800 sq ft to 34,500 sq ft. The partnership has also announced that the entire development is now available for sale.

Leading specialist kitchen supplier Howdens Joinery has taken two trade counter units at the development.

Teka Flooring, a specialist in carpet and laminate flooring, and online tile outlet The Porcelain Store have also become new occupiers, both taking warehouse units at the scheme.

Following the latest lettings, there are four leasehold units remaining at Bourges View, comprising two trade counter and two industrial units ranging from 2,100 sq ft to 5,350 sq ft.

All properties include electric vehicle charging points and are constructed from high-performance building materials to reduce CO2 emissions, with some units also featuring solar panels.

Current occupiers at Bourges Views include trade merchants Toolstation, Wurth, Brewers, Careco and self-storage provider Shurguard. Online skincare retailer Skin Cupid and Tile Mountain Group are also based at the development.

Drive through occupiers at the scheme include Costa Coffee, fast food chain Burger King and US burger giant Wendy’s.

Chancerygate senior development director, George Dickens, commented: “We are pleased to welcome Howdens, Teka Flooring and The Porcelain Store to Bourges View, bringing the scheme to almost 90 per cent occupancy with strong interest in the remaining units as we look to sell the development.”

“The site’s strategic position to infrastructure combined with a Grade A specification is a strong testament to its success in attracting a range of occupiers. This makes it an attractive investment opportunity for any purchasers looking to add a prime urban logistics and trade counter development to their portfolio.”