Liverpool Uni searches for another 1,200 beds

University of Liverpool has continued its aggressive expansion of city centre accommodation with a formal search by OJEU for sites within 3.5 miles of the Brownlow Hill campus for residential schemes to be delivered between 2014 and 2017.

The tender brief published this week in the Official Journal of the European Union invites bids from companies to finance, design, build and operate the city centre halls.

The 3.5-mile radius is measured from the University Foundation Building on Brownlow Hill.

The university wants to secure a pipeline of 1,200 en-suite rooms either at a single location or multiple locations within this radius.

The selected provider will need to be flexible in their approach. The estimated demand is for between 300 and 400 rooms a year from 2014 to 2017 but this could go up or down.

The university said it would consider all models including joint ventures, partnerships and special purpose vehicles.

Liverpool University has been extremely active in delivering new student housing in the past couple of years; Ocon Construction is building blocks of 800 and 1,200 rooms and Worthington Properties submitted plans for 600 rooms this month.

This latest move will fuel rumours that the university is about to sell its suburban halls of residence in Mossley Hill, south Liverpool. The Carnatic and Greenbank halls are tired and outdated but sit on land that would be attractive to private housebuilders. The sale has been predicted for many years.

The university declined to comment.

The deadline for applications is 18 October.