Latest news: The University of Manchester's £1billion facelift

The University of Manchester is set to invest £1billion over the next ten years to create a single, world-class campus. 16/10/2012

The first phase of the plan will cost around £700million and will be delivered over the next six years. This will include a new engineering campus, a bigger student's union, refurbishment of the university library and a new medical school.

Even the telescope at Jodrell Bank observatory will be modernised under the plans.

Several million pounds will also be spent by the university improving Oxford Road, creating wider pavements and making it car free by 2015.

Plans for the second phase are being drawn up, expecting to cost a further £300million and beginning in 2018. This would see a new biomedical campus, health centre and refurbishments for a number of schools.

Director of estates and facilities Diana Hampson said, 'This visionary building programme will give us one of the most modern campuses in the world, where the vast majority of our students will be studying in brand new or refurbished buildings.'

Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, president and vice-chancellor of The University of Manchester, stated, 'For the first time, we will deliver a single site where engineering, arts, biomedicine, business and all of our other activities live side by side, and our students will be at the real heart of a campus.'