Work set to begin on Uni’s £36m library and townhouses
WORK will begin in 2017 on a major redevelopment of the Edge Hill University campus.
Several state-of-the-art new buildings will be created as part of the project and it is hoped work will be completed by the end of 2018.
The £36m development will include a new library and student services centre plus accommodation for 250 senior students, located on the site of the university’s old running track.
The new residences will be the first phase of the project to be completed.
The homes will be three and four storey townhouses comprising of 263 bedrooms.
These will be available to second year, third year and postgraduate students, meaning more of these students can be housed on campus rather than renting privately outside of the university.
The residences will be completed in two phases, with the first opening in time for 2017 occupancy and the second in 2018.
Edge Hill vice-chancellor Dr John Cater said: “Over the past five years the university has invested heavily in constructing new residences to ensure that all first year students who so choose can live on campus.
“We are now extending that offer to a proportion of senior and postgraduate students with the construction of a series of new town houses for 2017 and 2018 occupancy.
“Alongside this, and to ensure we sustain our position as one of the country’s top two campuses in the 2016 Times Higher survey, we are investing over £26m to construct a new library and student services centre, simultaneously releasing high quality space for learning and teaching and departmental use.”
The four-storey building will be much larger than the current library facility and feature a range of different study areas, social spaces and muchimproved electronic facilities, as well as easier access to the university’s entire book collection.