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Brighton & Hove City Council has approved plans for the third and final phase of the Northfield student residences on campus.

The planning approval, granted on 18 July, means that construction of the two additional blocks can start this summer.

When they are finished in July 2013, the 148 new study bedrooms will complete the Northfield development. Phase one (777 rooms in 14 blocks) has been open since summer 2011 and phase two (an additional 180 rooms in three blocks) was completed earlier this summer.

"A further extension to the Northfield residences will help us to meet our target of housing 40% of Sussex students in University-managed accommodation and also to meet the continuing demand for high-quality, en-suite rooms," explained Charles Dudley, the Director of Residential, Sport and Trading Services.

The student demand for places at Sussex has increased faster than expected since the first plans for Northfield were submitted in 2008.

"There is an urgent need for the development to support the future expansion of the University," said Charles.

Councillor Christopher Hawtree, chairman of the planning committee, said: “This development will give many more university students the opportunity to live on campus particularly during their first year.

“This will be beneficial to the students as they familiarise themselves with their new surroundings, but also to the city as a whole as it frees up other accommodation.”

The design of the two extra blocks in phase three is the same as those that have already been built, except that there will be some eight-person flats as well as flats for six people. Each cluster includes a kitchen and dining area and each single study-bedroom has an en-suite shower room.

Although students living in Northfield enjoy views of nearby Stanmer Park and the South Downs National Park, the buildings sit entirely within the University campus.

Councillor Hawtree said: “We are satisfied that the design of the new housing blocks will have minimal impact on the adjoining National Park and will be enhanced by the proposed landscaping and habitat creation and management plan.”

The buildings will be linked to the remainder of Northfield by extensions to the existing roads, pathways and landscaped areas.

Students who live on campus are not permitted to park cars on campus, but there will be covered racks for 72 bicycles.

The new development will be self-financing, i.e. the capital investment will be financed by future rents and vacation income.

With the planning of Northfield completed, attention will turn to other schemes to add to the stock of student housing both on campus and in Brighton.