The University of Derby has announced an 80,000 sq ft expansion programme.
Friar Gate Square, the 32,000 sq ft office block which has been vacant since it was built in 2013, will now become the new home to Derby Law School. The Law School will occupy the building over its six floors and the space will comprise a magistrates court and a family court, teaching and lecture rooms and an open-plan specialist law library.
Malcolm Todd, dean of the College of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences at University of Derby, said: “Having invested £1.5m in our law offer we now house some of the country’s most advanced facilities, including courtrooms, crime labs, and interviewing suites.”
The university has also submitted £12m plans for a 48,000 sq ft extension to its Markeaton Street campus to handle the increasing demand for science, technology, engineering and mathematics subjects.
The news comes six months after the University secured £5m from the Higher Education Funding Council for England.
John Coyne, vice-chancellor at University of Derby, said: “The need for a STEM centre has been sparked by an 8% increase in the number of students studying engineering and the building will give Derby the much needed space it requires to develop further.”
