North West

Ambitious Accommodation Plans at Edge Hill

Edge Hill University in Ormskirk, Lancashire

A thrilling new development at Edge Hill University in Ormskirk, Lancashire is nearing completion.

Chancellors Court will house residential accommodation and comprises 384 en-suite student rooms. The three-storey development will be divided into six separate blocks, and will include student bedrooms and shared kitchens.

The new halls of residence will provide students with an array of facilities that will be made available to them in safe and secure surroundings and will be built to the east of an existing sports centre. The contemporary living areas will be environmentally friendly and are already regarded as some of the best student accommodation units in the sector.

Project Leader, Pro Vice-Chancellor Steve Igoe, said:

“For those moving away from home for the first time, many want the security and ready-made social life of halls of residence. The on-campus bed spaces are always in popular demand so I’m delighted that we’re able to build additional accommodation in time for the influx of new students.

“This is a remarkable achievement, given the challenges presented by the wet conditions in April but our contractors are working round the clock to ensure the bed spaces are ready for the new term in September.

“This project will see the commencement of the development of the eastern campus with this phase providing space for new student learning and living facilities. The University has ambitious plans to continue to invest in its student centered teaching and learning facilities and we  believe that further  investment is vital to sustain our attractiveness to prospective students albeit that the University is already recognized as having  a campus that truly matches, in both quality and scale, the very best in the United Kingdom.”

The contractors behind the scheme are John Turner and Sons who began work on the project in February 2012. ABW Architects is providing all architectural services on the site. Chancellors Court is set to reach completion in early September 2012 in time for the upcoming intake of new students.

Built on a Greenfield site, the buildings consist of traditional masonry cavity wall construction with pre-cast concrete hollow rib floors. The exterior finish of the structure is made up of powder coated steel cladding and brickwork. The building is finished with an aluminium standing seam roof and has triple glazed windows with aluminium composite timber frames.

Design features include solar thermal systems as well as a highly insulated envelope built to passiv haus standards with heat recovery in ventilation. A CHP unit will provide heating and hot water.

 

In comparison to previous accommodation, improvements have been made in construction and performance, which have made this expansion more cost effective, whilst providing a bigger living space.

The ambitious venture is predominantly funded by university recourses with the Lancashire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) contributing £1m to the first phase of this development – from its Growing Places Fund – which will provide a further boost to the local economy.

Vice-Chancellor Dr John Cater, said:

“This is excellent news for the University and the community, creating over 200 construction and 50 permanent jobs at a time of economic recession, bringing over £55m of investment to the local area and providing international-class facilities for over 4,000 local users every week.

“Now that we have support from the Secretary of State, work can start on site immediately. The end result will see the creation of the eastern campus and will provide space for new student learning and living facilities for many years to come, making it a campus that truly matches, in both quality and scale, the very best in the United Kingdom.

“We are very grateful for the support we have received from the Borough Council as we strive to turn these ambitious plans into reality.”

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