Manchester university wins approval for £350m engineering campus

Site will become home to the university’s four engineering schools and two research institutes

The University of Manchester has received planning permission to create a £350 million engineering campus.

The Manchester Engineering Campus Development (MECD) will become home to the university’s four engineering schools and two research institutes from the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences. It will include extensive modern teaching spaces and facilities that reflect the changing demands of students and staff for mobile and flexible working.

A key feature on the ground floor of the main hall will be dedicated ‘maker spaces’: workshops in which students and academics will share ideas and work together. The scheme boasts flexible labs, bespoke project areas and interactive learning environments to support innovation, creativity and collaboration on a new scale.

Professor Martin Schröder, vice-president and dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, said: “This exciting new campus development is a once in a lifetime project that builds upon Manchester’s proud heritage of innovation and discovery across engineering and science that began with the establishment of the Manchester Mechanics’ Institute in 1824.

“MECD brings Manchester Engineering into one building as a focus for interdisciplinary teaching and research. We will train the engineers of the future and discover and apply new knowledge to help industry and society to increase wealth and employment and to overcome global challenges of climate change, finite natural resources and changing world markets.”

The development – due to be completed in 2020 – is part of the university’s £1 billion campus masterplan to create a world-leading campus.