UNIVERSITY chiefs are pressing ahead with their expansion bid after submitting proposals for a second academic development on Ipswich's Waterfront.

Neil Puffett

UNIVERSITY chiefs are pressing ahead with their expansion bid after submitting proposals for a second academic development on Ipswich's Waterfront.

Following the official opening of the new landmark university building last month, an application has been made to build a second massive development just 100 metres away on Orwell Quay.

The impressive new six-storey structure would boast 15,000 sq metres of space and play host to the university's health and science teaching programmes.

As well as lecture and seminar rooms the building will also house a restaurant and student union.

The hope is the building will be up and running in just two years' time - by September 2010.

A spokeswoman for UCS said: “This is the second phase in the masterplan for the education quarter.

“The building will mainly host the faculties of health and science as well as specialist research laboratories.

“We are really excited about this. “It is a fantastic new development for UCS and will allow us to develop in other areas.

“It will link with our other Waterfront building and provide a really exciting place for students to study and be able to live nearby.”

The application comes on the back of plans for student accommodation on the adjacent patch of land being given the green light by town planners last month.

Work on the nine-storey development, which includes shops on the ground floor and 100 car parking spaces, is earmarked to begin in December and will be funded in partnership with a private developer.

Plans have also been submitted for a third development on the stretch of land between Neptune Marina and Persimmon's Orwell Quay development.

As revealed in The Evening Star last month, developers hope to secure planning permission for Ransomes Wharf - a mixed development of homes, a hotel and health club.

Are you excited by the university plans? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk

FASTFACTS: The landmark building:

- The landmark Waterfront building was handed over to UCS by developers Willmott Dixon last month.

- Costing an estimated £22million, the building is divided over six floors and includes teaching rooms, a café, a learning resource centre with more than 60 new computers, public meeting rooms and social areas.

- There will be room for an estimated 220 office staff and around 1,300 students will be taught in the building every day.