Express & Star

University of Wolverhampton in £45m expansion

The University of Wolverhampton will be expanded to create a new business school, science block and laboratories under £45 million plans unveiled today.

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The university's landmark MB building in Stafford Street will be extended into the main city centre campus, with its two-storey buildings raised to four storeys.

The building will be used to house a new block for science classrooms and laboratories.

The former Varsity bar, bought by the university earlier this year, will be used to relocate student support services from the MB building and will eventually become the main entrance.

Meanwhile in a £15m scheme a new business school will be built in Molineux Street, close to the Wolves ground, offering more classrooms, post graduate suites and catering.

The other £5m will be spent mainly on general improvements to the university's Walsall campus, particularly around the students' union.

But there will be a £250,000 floodlit sports pitch in North Road near Molineux for students at the university's halls of residence.

Professor Geoff Layer, vice chancellor of the university, today hailed the developments as a way of equip- ping students with the skills needed to make the most of opportunities to work in the city's engineering sector.

He said: "It is a time of massive change in higher education. The role of the university today is making a significant contribution to the economic growth and regeneration of the Black Country, Shropshire and Staffordshire."

Work on the sports pitch is set to begin in February and while the new science block requires planning permission there are plans for both it and the new business school to be ready by the end of 2014.

University of Wolverhampton vice chancellor Professor Geoff Layer speaks to Daniel Wainwright in today's Express & Star

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