UNIVERSITY Campus Suffolk (UCS) received a major boost today after cash was secured for the construction of a new waterfront academic building.A �4.6 million grant from the Higher Education Funding Council for England combined with money from Ipswich Borough Council and Suffolk County Council will fund the build.

UNIVERSITY Campus Suffolk (UCS) received a major boost today after cash was secured for the construction of a new waterfront academic building.

A �4.6 million grant from the Higher Education Funding Council for England combined with money from Ipswich Borough Council and Suffolk County Council will fund the build.

The University Quay site, which sits 300m south of the landmark Waterfront building, will be constructed over the next five years.

The building includes two student residences and a large, modular academic building. The first block of residences, consisting of 600 student rooms, retail units and a UCS managed car park, is already under construction.

The first module of the new academic building will be completed in autumn 2010, providing state-of-the-art accommodation for health and science students, as well as an innovative 'iLab', general teaching and study space, and UCS Students' Union facilities.

Future modules are planned for 2012 onwards and will include an extensive library and learning resource centre, general teaching space, and specialist and further student facilities.

Neil Jackson, director of campus development, said: “I am extremely pleased that we can now proceed with the construction of the University Quay academic building.

“This is the next major step in the creation of the UCS Ipswich campus.”