Permission granted for new student and public arts venue

An artist's impression of the new building.

Salford City Council's planning panel has unanimously granted planning permission for the development of a £38m Arts Building for the University of Salford which will provide state-of-the-art performance and teaching spaces for students and the local community.

Featuring a theatre and performance spaces, the new building will house students studying in areas such as music, design and performance and forms part of a major redevelopment of the University campus.

As well as student spaces, the new building will also include a café, and the theatre and studio facilities will be used to give performances and exhibitions open to the public. There will also be tuition and social learning areas to help students achieve their full potential in the best possible environment.

The new building is just part of an ambitious plan that is already underway with the refurbishment of the existing Chapman Building. The Arts Building will be sited adjacent to this development - creating a welcoming public space in the centre of the campus which will become a hub for students, staff and local people.

And, as part of the University's commitment to reducing carbon emissions and improving campus sustainability, the new building will have the world-leading BREEAM accreditation status.

Students from the School of Media, Music & Performance and the School of Art & Design will be the predominant users of the building, vacating the current Adelphi and Centenary Buildings. Students from these schools will also be housed in the new facility at MediaCityUK which opens on October 4 2011.

The project is being worked on by planning consultants, Turley Associates and work will begin in the autumn of this year for completion mid-2014.

Vice-Chancellor, Professor Martin Hall said: "This building and our wider Campus Plan are part of the University's strong commitment to the regeneration of Central Salford, in the context of the City Council's vision for this area and the work done over many years by the Central Salford Urban Regeneration Company.

"It will be an important cultural centre for the people of Salford and will provide our students with a space to allow them to fully develop their skills."

For much more information on the University's Campus Plan, please visit the website.