The University of Sussex based in Brighton, has opened up places for an estimated 5000 more students. As a result, expansion plans in the region of £500 million are in place, generating over 2000 new jobs for Brighton locals.

Brighton and Hove council are pleased with the expansion plans, seeing them as an excellent boost to the growth of Brighton’s economy. However, it has been suggested that there is not enough student housing for current students across Brighton, let alone a further 5000.

The University expansion plans include new science buildings for drug related research and a bigger library for the campus. New student accommodation is also amongst the plans with an extension on the current halls of residence. The University has also suggested building more student accommodation across Brighton city, and what was once a Co-operative store on London Road is now being transformed into accommodation for over 300 students.

The University is looking to utilise derelict and run-down spaces around the campus area in Brighton. The majority of the funding will come from the University as well as an investor who is set to develop the student housing.

The University of Sussex currently employs over 2000 people in jobs across Brighton, as well as supporting a further 2500. They are already a major contributor to the local Brighton economy, but the new development plans aim to create around 1000 new jobs to meet the growing demands.

Brighton and Hove council are yet to approve the development plans and will be presented with a planning application from the University in December. Brighton city certainly benefits from having the University on it’s doorstep; the more students there are, the higher the demand for resources is, which in turn generates more jobs across various departments. This also stems into the wider community, with students accessing local shops in the city centre and needing accommodation from local student landlords. As the University grows, so too does the Brighton community.