THE University of Chester has unveiled multi-million pound plans for 200 en-suite study bedrooms.
It is hoped the accommodation will help attract the best students in a competitive market – especially with the onset of higher tuition fees.
Members of the public are being consulted over the plans, which show three linked blocks on the main Parkgate Road campus, adjacent to the library, offering three and floor levels of accommodation.
Each bedroom can fit a double bed and has a galley so students can do their own cooking.
The blocks are south-facing, allowing light to pass through, ensuring the library is not cast in shadow.
There is a communal area for socialising with an undercroft to allow easy passage underneath.
The bedrooms, which are expected to be rented for about £100 a week, are aimed at first years and international students.
Nearby sports facilities are being reconfigured, with the creation of a multi-use artificial pitch, tennis courts and running track.
Vice Chancellor Professor Tim Wheeler does not anticipate major opposition from the community. He said: “It’s not massive and it’s within the campus. It’s not visually intrusive.”
Prof Wheeler said today’s student had high expectations in terms of accommodation standards compared with when he was an undergraduate.
“There is an expectation from students of having quality accommodation. When I was at university you got what you could.”
Meanwhile, Prof Wheeler expresses no opinion on Bell Development’s controversial plans for a 3,000-bed student village and says the university’s own plans for a 1,000 study bedrooms are on hold until he can assess the impact of tuition fees on the demand for places.
