A new college for BU’s international students is to be built in the Lansdowne area.

The new college will replace Finance House’s current site ©Hollie Wong

The new college will replace Finance House’s current site ©Hollie Wong

Bournemouth Borough Council has granted planning permission for the new higher education preparatory college, which will cater for up to 600 international students.

Bournemouth University’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Tim McIntyre-Bhatty said: “We are delighted that the building has received planning permission.”

The redevelopment of the site will create ‘Bournemouth University’s International College’ (BUIC). This brand new facility will provide pathways for international students making the transition to university by preparing them for their course and also helping them with any language barriers.

“Our international diversity plays an important role in equipping all of our students with global employability skills to give them a competitive edge before they even enter the job market,” he said.

The building, when complete, will be 16 storeys high and contain over 300 standard rooms and 44 studio rooms.

According to Bournemouth Borough Council, the scheme will also benefit the town by bringing in economic benefits worth up to £7m each year. Construction of the new college will result in a greater number of jobs being created, more spending on the local economy and will potentially reward international students coming to Bournemouth.

Council planning board chairman Cllr David Kelsey said the new college is part of the continuing plans to “regenerate” this area of Bournemouth.Demolition of the previous Finance House building has been underway for the last two months.

The college is being built in a highly concentrated student area where five other halls of residence are already situated near or on Holdenhurst Road. Students of Lyme Regis House, next door to the demolition site, are supportive of the scheme.

The new college will provide accommodation for around 392 students and will comprise mainly of academic and office space. In addition to accommodation, the facility will also feature a canteen, a car park and a cycle bay, with storage for over 90 bicycles. The large cycle bay is an attempt by Bournemouth Borough Council to promote alternative modes of transport within the area.

The new building is due to open in September 2015.