Rental developer and manager Watkin Jones has secured six contracts worth a total of £60m to develop and refurbish a portfolio of purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) schemes. Separately, Marick Real Estate has also selected Watkin Jones to redevelop 38-40 George Street in Oxford into a 145-unit lifestyle aparthotel, called Staycity Wilde Oxford. Michael Bunyan, group development director at Watkin Jones, said: “These appointments demonstrate the value of Watkin Jones’ vertically integrated platform and the expertise we offer across the living and hospitality sectors. The group slipped to a £0.9m first-half pre-tax loss, while its adjusted pre-tax profits fell from £0.2m to zero. Gross profits also fell 35.4% year on year, from £14.4m to £9.3m, while its operating profits remained the same, at £0.4m.