University starts ambitious campus development with ceremonial ground breaking event

The Mayor of Brighton and Hove, Councillor Jacqui O’Quinn, joined Vice Chancellor, Professor Sasha Roseneil, on Thursday 21 March, to break new ground at the unveiling of the University of Sussex’s newest development site.

The ground breaking ceremony was for the new West Slope development, on the University’s Falmer campus.

Due for completion in 2028, it will feature 22 buildings, including new residential, learning, wellbeing and commercial spaces and a brand new Health and Wellbeing Centre, due to open in 2026 and bringing together NHS services and University wellbeing services.

It will also contain 1,899 modern student accommodation rooms, including two-bedroom family apartments and fully adaptable rooms with carers’ rooms. The development also includes a café, supermarket and study spaces with a ‘Library Pavilion’, designed to be accessible to all and offer a choice of flexible working environments.

In line with the University’s mission to be one of the most sustainable in the world, the development will also be built to BREEAM Excellent standards with green roofs, water recycling and solar panels.

Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sasha Roseneil, said: “West Slope will give us much-needed new student accommodation, allowing more students to enjoy the educational and social benefits of campus living, and our new Health and Wellbeing Centre will put student welfare right at the heart of our campus.

“Celebrating the start of construction with our Sussex and Brighton community partners, I am excited to watch the landscape of our West Slope evolve and transform into contemporary, environmentally suitable, and fully, accessible and inclusive student facilities.”

The ground breaking ceremony marked the start of the project’s construction, with guests including the leader of Brighton and Hove Council Bella Sankey, the University’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Sasha Roseneil, current students and staff, members of University Council, representatives from Balfour Beatty and key partners who helped bring the project to reality, including architects, planning advisors, and legal and financial advisors.

While breaking ground, the Mayor of Brighton and Hove said: “West Slope will create new opportunities for Sussex students to flourish.

“The community of Brighton will also benefit from these fantastic new facilities, from the new GP surgery, much needed, and supermarket, and more student accommodation being made available here on campus.’

Ion Appuhamy, Managing Director Balfour Beatty Investments, said: “Today marks not only the beginning of construction but also the long-term partnership which will ensure the new accommodation is maintained in an excellent condition over the long-term, allowing students to live, study and socialise in for decades to come.”

The West Slope design process began in 2018 but was affected by the Covid pandemic and paused for around 18 months. Over the past two years the University’s partner, Balfour Beatty, has been preparing the site, demolishing old buildings and ensuring resilient services are in place.

Bella Sankey, leader of Brighton and Hove Council, said: “This project has been a long time in the making and it couldn’t be more important for our city, and for one of our universities. The project will also help alleviate pressure on housing in the city, and I’m really pleased to see it get started. It’s been a huge partnership to get us this far, and we’re looking forward to bed-spaces being built and made available from 2026 onwards.”

Comfort Karim, a final year Marketing and Management student attended the event and said: “I found the opportunity to witness the behind-the-scenes creation of the West Slope development immensely rewarding. Engaging in conversations and networking with professionals and key decision-makers of the university, such as Sasha, was truly enlightening.”