The City of Edinburgh Council has approved a detailed planning application which will see Napier University redevelop its Sighthill Campus.

As part of the University's £100m estates strategy, the redeveloped campus will bring the Faculty of Health, Life & Social Sciences together under one roof for the first time, and provide first-rate learning, teaching and research facilities for the 5,000 students and staff who will study there.

Professor Joan Stringer, Principal & Vice-Chancellor of Napier University, said: "We are delighted with today's decision from the City of Edinburgh Council which allows us to forge ahead with the redevelopment of Sighthill Campus, which is central to our ambitious estates strategy.

"As Napier has just been named the number one university in Scotland for graduate employability, our investment in the Sighthill Campus comes at a very exciting time. The new campus will provide students and staff with hi-tech, well-designed facilities fit for a twenty-first century university and will create a landmark for the area."

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The development will also significantly contribute to the wider regeneration of North Sighthill and the local economy. The construction programme alone will support in the region of 100 full-time jobs. And from 2010 the staff and students based there will bring major economic benefits to the surrounding area.

Demolition work began on-site in spring 2008 and Sighthill will re-open for the start of the academic year 2010/11.

The plans include a new building adjacent to the refurbished central spine of the existing building and a glass front atrium which will create a social hub for the building. The new campus will be student-focused and contain a variety of mixed learning spaces, including a Learning Resource Centre, clinical skills laboratories, IT-enabled lecture theatres and seminar rooms and sports facilities.

The University worked closely with international architects RMJM to draw up plans for the new campus, as well as undertaking extensive consultation with a range of partners and stakeholders including local businesses, community councils, the City of Edinburgh Council, Stevenson College Edinburgh and NHS Lothian.

Paul Rodgers, Director, RMJM, said: "A key milestone has been reached by today's decision. We are looking forward to working closely with all parties involved to ensure that the new campus reflects the needs of a modern university."

The proposals are being progressed by a design team led by RMJM architects, Jones Lang LaSalle, Heery International, Buro Happold and Cyril Sweett.

(GK/JM)