A UNIVERSITY has today unveiled plans that will see it invest £300m in new student buildings and facilities over the next decade.

Teesside University has unveiled its new Campus Masterplan which includes plans for a new student services centre, a revamped business school and transformation of student accommodation in Middlesbrough, as well as plans for a new biomedical research and teaching facility in Darlington.

Details of the Masterplan were revealed this morning by the university’s vice-chancellor and chief executive Professor Paul Croney and chairman Alastair MacColl in The Curve building – which opened in 2015.

Details of phase one of the Campus Masterplan includes: • A £10m Student Life Building to bring all student facing services together in one location. The Student Life Building will also include an employability centre and teaching facilities.

• The first phase of creating a new home for the Teesside University Business School will see £6m spent to support the continuing growth of the re-launched School. Phase two will follow, with a further £15m investment.

• Transformation of student accommodation. £83m will be invested to transform the student accommodation offer, including new purpose-built accommodation on the Woodlands site, a full refurbishment of King Edward’s Square, and refurbishment and modernisation of Parkside Village.

• The £22.3m National Horizons Centre, a biomedical research, education and teaching facility at the University’s Darlington campus, which will support the biologics, industrial biotechnology, subsea engineering and digital industries.

University bosses say the Campus Masterplan has been developed following extensive consultation with students and staff and will provide the optimum facilities to meet the needs of the 21st century learner.

Professor Croney said: “The University is delighted to launch its Campus Masterplan.

“This programme of investment will transform the campus over the next decade and reinforces our commitment to providing an outstanding student and learning experience.

“We look forward to continuing to work with our partners in the Tees Valley and North East, to make Middlesbrough an exciting and appealing destination for students from across the world.”

Mr MacColl said: “The plans for the campus over the next ten years are outstanding and these are incredibly exciting times for Teesside University.

“We are committed to investing in our estate to further enhance the experiences of our students, businesses we work with and the communities we serve.”

Malcolm Page, chief operating officer added: “There has been some incredible success with the development of our award-winning campus in recent years – but the University cannot stand still.

“We will continue to invest and are excited to be launching this next phase of development. We believe this Masterplan will help to create a campus environment to rival any in the sector.”

Developments will be completed in structured phases, with phase one already underway with the final stage of the £7m library refurbishment and the development of the former Evening Gazette building on Borough Road - which the University acquired earlier this year.

As well as the £22m Curve building, other projects recently completed by the university include Campus Heart (the centre of its Middlesbrough site), the acquisition and refurbishment of Teesside Central Halls, a £6m redevelopment of Orion and Stephenson buildings to provide science and engineering facilities, a £1.1m redevelopment of the Students’ Union and the new £2.75m health and fitness centre.