Watkin Jones, the UK’s leading developer and manager of residential for rent, is pleased to announce it has reached practical completion of Loftlines, a landmark development in Belfast’s Titanic Quarter, delivered for L&G.
The development delivers 627 BTR homes, significantly increasing the supply of professionally managed rental housing within Belfast’s city centre. Loftlines has been delivered in partnership with Lacuna Developments, with GRAHAM appointed as the main contractor.
Located on Queen’s Island within the Titanic Quarter, Loftlines is the largest residential scheme delivered in Belfast in recent years, and Northern Ireland’s first large scale BTR development. Demand for professionally managed rental housing in Belfast continues to outpace supply, with this landmark development providing much needed housing while supporting jobs, inward investment and long-term economic activity in the city.
The development also reflects growing institutional confidence in Belfast as an emerging BTR market, supported by the city's long-term growth, ongoing regeneration and increase in demand for city centre living.
Homes within Loftlines range from studios to three-bedrooms. The development includes resident amenities such as lounges, private dining rooms, a gym and yoga studio, flexible work spaces, games rooms and TV lounge, together with children’s play areas, roof terraces and high-quality public realm. Together, these facilities and public spaces are designed to support resident wellbeing and create a new neighbourhood within Titanic Quarter.
Loftlines will form part of L&G’s growing BTR portfolio, marking its first scheme in Northern Ireland and adding a high-quality development to its platform. The scheme reflects L&G’s wider strategy of using long-term institutional capital to support new rental housing in areas of strong demand, building on more than £4bn deployed through its BTR strategy across 12 UK cities.
Michael Bunyan, Group Development Director at Watkin Jones said:
“Loftlines delivers high-quality homes at scale into the important Belfast market, a city where demand for rental housing continues to outpace supply. It is also an important placemaking scheme, bringing forward new public realm, outdoor space and amenities that will support the continued regeneration of Titanic Quarter and help create a thriving new neighbourhood in the city.
“This is another scheme developed for L&G by Watkin Jones, reflecting both the depth of that demand and our ability to deliver large, complex developments for long-term investment partners in regional cities with attractive fundamentals.”
Adam Burney, Head of BTR & PBSA at L&G commented:
“We are pleased to have completed Loftlines, bringing the first BTR homes to Northern Ireland, contributing significantly to the Belfast housing stock. Belfast is an attractive employment base and high-quality rental homes are vital for attracting and retaining talent. With national housing supply still falling short of demand, sustained investment in new homes is essential and Loftlines will contribute to continued economic growth and job creation in Northern Ireland.
“Investing over £150m of institutional funds in Belfast, we are proud to have worked closely in collaboration with our delivery partners and wider project stakeholders on this landmark project.
“We are delighted with the feedback from prospective residents and look forward to welcoming our first residents in the coming weeks.”
Notes for Editors:
About Watkin Jones
Watkin Jones is the UK's leading developer and manager of residential for rent, with a focus on the build to rent, student accommodation and affordable housing sectors. The Group has strong relationships with institutional investors, and a reputation for successful, on-time-delivery of high-quality developments. Since 1999, Watkin Jones has delivered 48,000 student beds across 143 sites, making it a key player and leader in the UK purpose-built student accommodation market, and is increasingly expanding its operations into the build to rent sector.
In addition, Fresh, the Group's specialist accommodation management business, manages over 21,000 student beds and build to rent apartments on behalf of its institutional clients. Watkin Jones has also been responsible for over 80 residential developments, ranging from starter homes to executive housing and apartments.
Watkin Jones was admitted to trading on AIM in March 2016 with the ticker WJG.L. For additional information please visit www.watkinjonesplc.com
About L&G
Established in 1836, L&G is one of the UK's leading financial services groups and a major global investor, with £1.2 trillion in total assets under management (as at FY25) of which c. 43% (c. £0.5 trillion) is international. We have a highly synergistic business model, which continues to drive strong returns. We are a leading player in Institutional Retirement, in Retail Savings and Protection, and in Asset Management through both public and private markets. Across the Group, we are committed to responsible investing and dedicated to serving the long-term savings and investment needs of customers and society.
About Lacuna Developments
Lacuna Developments is one of Northern Ireland’s leading development and investment companies. Established in 1991, Lacuna is a family company now run by Anthony Best.
Lacuna has grown steadily over the last three decades and has a specific experience in the last 10 years in the living sector including private and affordable housing, student accommodation and build to rent sectors. Lacuna has delivered over 3,500 student beds in Belfast and is helping deliver the first BTR scheme in the city
Lacuna is currently involved in over 1,500 living units in Belfast. It also has several mixed-use schemes on site and in the pipeline which will start on site in the next two years. The company continues to grow and look for further opportunities.
About GRAHAM
GRAHAM is a privately owned, national construction and development company with a £1.23bn turnover, operating from a network of 19 regional offices throughout the UK and Ireland and employing a workforce of 2,200.
Focused on a sustainable growth model, GRAHAM has a healthy £2bn+ pipeline of secured work in its core market sectors (building, civil engineering, interior fit-out, facilities management and development management).
The foundation of this success is its exemplary people development strategy, framed within a culture of Fairness, Inclusion & Respect. GRAHAM continues to make substantial investments in the skills and development of its people and supply chain and, notably, was the first UK organisation to achieve Investors in People (IIP) “We invest in Wellbeing Platinum” status.
GRAHAM continues to make substantial investments in the skills and development of its people and supply chain and, notably, was the first UK organisation to achieve Investors in People (IIP) “We invest in Wellbeing Platinum” status. Celebrating 25 Years of Investors in People Accreditation in 2026 (Platinum accreditation since 2022), the company retained "Investors in Diversity Leaders Gold" in 2026 for the second year and is ranked among the top two employers in the National Centre for Diversity's Top 100.
Reflecting the Group’s guiding principle, “delivering lasting impact”, over the last three years, GRAHAM has generated a £767.4m Social Economic Return on Investment (SROI) and is on course to achieve its target of Net Zero Carbon Emissions by 2030 (direct emissions).
For more information, visit the: www.graham.co.uk