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New flagship teaching and conference building for º£½ÇÖ±²¥

º£½ÇÖ±²¥ has applied for planning consent to build a brand new flagship £20m teaching and conference facility at the heart of its Middlesbrough campus.

The new landmark building demonstrates the University’s commitment to investing further in growth and enhancing the experience of its students and its work with business and communities across the Tees Valley. The planning application also outlines a vision for extensive landscaping and improvements to the area. The design of the new building was initially generated as part of an architectural competition to produce a unique environment at the centre of º£½ÇÖ±²¥ through the provision of a new building and new ‘campus heart’ to rival any new University in the UK or Europe.

º£½ÇÖ±²¥â€™s growing reputation for the quality of its student experience continues to attract new full-time undergraduate students. Last year º£½ÇÖ±²¥ was one of the top few universities to achieve the student number target allocated by government – the Student Number Control, and it remains a popular choice for thousands of students each year. A further 300 places have been allocated to the University by the Government for October 2013 entry.

The University has already invested approximately £150m on the Middlesbrough campus in recent years to provide top class facilities for both students and the local and regional community and is now committed to developing a ‘campus heart’ with its Library, Students’ Union and this proposed new development creating a central space which is a safe and attractive environment for use by students and the community.

The proposed new building will provide a mix of flexible modern teaching space and offices. This additional space will also mean the University can reconfigure its office accommodation on campus to further develop its Library which last year underwent a £2m refurbishment and earned the accolade of the best university library in the North East, according to the National Student Survey 2012.

Professor Graham Henderson CBE DL, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of º£½ÇÖ±²¥ said: ‘We are delighted that the University is thriving and that we can continue to grow and invest in our campuses at Darlington and here at Middlesbrough. Our students, community partners, neighbours and the businesses we work with are at the heart of everything we do and we want to offer them a central heart to our town centre campus which provides high quality facilities and an attractive environment.

‘This development will not just benefit our students, our neighbours and the people of the town, it will offer new facilities that contribute to the economy of the region and enhance the profile of Middlesbrough, so we can continue to attract the best new students and staff and engage fully with employers and investors.’

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