Cynergy Bank has provided a £15.1m senior debt facility to Student Lux Limited to fund The Sanctum, a purpose-built student accommodation scheme on a brownfield site adjacent to the University of Kent campus in Canterbury, Kent.
The development will deliver 180 student rooms and redevelop an underutilised site in a location where demand for well-positioned student accommodation has remained strong against limited new supply. The deal was structured with a stabilisation tail and an occupancy-linked pricing mechanism.
The transaction follows the merger of the University of Kent and the University of Greenwich on 1 August 2026, which created the London and South East University Group, described as the UK’s first regional university group of its kind.
Student Lux Limited says The Sanctum forms the first phase of a wider investment strategy in Canterbury, with profits from the scheme earmarked to support future development activity.
“We’re delighted to support Student Lux Limited to deliver much-needed purpose-built student accommodation in Canterbury,” said Henry Wilson-Holt, relationship director at Cynergy Bank.
“It is also welcoming to see an obsolete brownfield site bought back to life. This transaction highlights our flexible approach to lending and our ability to provide tailored, competitive funding solutions that align with our customers’ objectives.”
“Working with Cynergy Bank has been an outstanding experience from start to finish,” said a spokesperson for Student Lux Limited.
“Opportunities of this quality are exceptionally rare. The chance to deliver a privately funded purpose-built student accommodation development immediately adjacent to the University of Kent campus, at a time of transformational change in higher education across the region, represents an exceptional long-term opportunity.
“We received strong interest from a number of funding providers; however, Cynergy Bank distinguished itself through its entrepreneurial mindset, speed of execution and genuine understanding of our long-term vision. Henry Wilson-Holt and the wider Cynergy team were proactive, commercial and solution-focused throughout the process, giving us complete confidence in the transaction.
“The creation of the London and South East University Group represents the genesis of a new era for higher education in the South East. We believe continued investment in modern, high-quality and competitively priced student accommodation can complement that transformation and enhance Canterbury’s attractiveness as a place to study and live.
“The Sanctum represents the first phase of our wider investment strategy. It will regenerate an important brownfield site while delivering much-needed modern student accommodation, and demonstrates our long-term commitment to investing in Canterbury, supporting its students and delivering high-quality, safe and welcoming student accommodation.”
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