Unite Students has secured planning approval to extend student accommodation building Rushford Court in Durham – with a view to establishing it as a college of Durham University.
In an extension to the partnership between Unite and Durham University, Rushford Court will initially become the temporary home of the university’s College of St Hild and St Bede.
In the long term, it is intended to provide the university with a new 18th college.
Durham County Council approved Unite’s plans to upgrade the restored Victorian former hospital, which has 348 bedrooms as well as an on-site gym, cinema room, and games area in a planning meeting last week.
The approved plans for the site include student and staff facilities including college staff offices, welfare, study spaces, and a new building that will house common rooms, study areas, and a bar, in addition to the facilities already on offer at the property.
The plans also include a new two-storey amenity hub, which will be built in front of the current building, and external alterations including reinstating the historic entrance and new landscaping.
Work, in partnership with Durham University, to upgrade the property will begin this summer. Unite Students will continue to operate the building while work is carried out, with residents staying at the property.
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