MORE students are to be attracted to a North-East town as a university pushes ahead with plans for a new campus.

Teesside University is hoping to lease buildings in Darlington until a new complex can be built in the town.

Last night, senior academics said the new building in Darlington still remained a priority for the university.

The plan to create a Teesside University campus alongside Darlington College, at Central Park, was announced in November 2007.

The plans are now at an advanced design stage and the university hopes to have a shortlist of contractors to carry out the construction work drawn up by the end of the summer.

It is hoped the new building can be completed by 2011.

Professor Graham Henderson, vice-chancellor of Teesside University, said: “We are so keen to press on with this plan to come to Darlington by summer 2011.

“It’s our expectation that we will open some new space in Darlington from this September.

“We’re looking to occupy it on a short-term lease.

“This will help build our student numbers up more quickly so that, when the ready-made student building is completed, they can move in.”

The new buildings would provide a range of courses not offered by Darlington College or the university centre within the college.

These would include short and part-time courses, foundation degrees, part-time degrees and parttime postgraduate study.

A preferred site for the campus has already been identified and Prof Henderson said that finance had been found and, so long as the building estimates were correct, the money was there for it to be built.

He said the recession had two effects on plans for the building.

He said: “In one sense, it’s made it more important for us that we come to Darlington.

We want to develop and help the town come through the recession.

“The downside is whether capital funding is in place to put it there.

“However, we have a number of plans for new building development and the board has made a decision that if we can’t afford all of them, Darlington will definitely go ahead.”

Sarah Robinson, principal and chief executive of Darlington College, said: “The new university centre will provide a fantastic opportunity for students in Darlington to study at the highest level.”