The board of governors of the University of Northampton have agreed to move forward with plans for a new campus in the town centre.
The governors voted yesterday to progress with the plans, which would see the campus built on a 55-acre site in Nunn Mills Road, within the Waterside Enterprise Zone.
The university now hopes ground work could start next year, with the campus opening in autumn 2018.
The plans were exclusively revealed by the Chron earlier this month.
Professor Nick Petford, vice-chancellor of the university, said: “The proposed campus is a hugely exciting development for the university. I am thrilled the board of governors has approved the development plan.
“We will now progress to the next stage, consulting people in Northampton on the plans before submitting an outline planning application.
“We have worked hard to create proposals for a campus development with state-of-the-art facilities for our students, staff and the community of Northampton.
“The university has a long history in the town and being a part of its growth is very important to us. This new campus will secure the future of the university as a leading higher education institution, not only in the UK, but internationally, really putting Northampton on the map.”
Milan Shah, chair of the board of governors said: “This is a momentous decision. The university’s new home will be open to the community and re-invigorate our relationship with Northamptonshire and the wider region.”
The university will be holding two public consultation events on the new campus.
The first is on Thursday, June 13, from 4pm to 8pm, at the Old White Hart, in Far Cotton, and the second on Saturday, June 15, from 11am to 3pm, at the Grosvenor Centre, in Northampton.