Press release

Building begins at Musselburgh of Scotland's first University campus for the 21st Century
Photocall on site today (16 January) at 12.30 - details at the end of this release

Construction has just begun on Scotland's first new university campus of the 21st century.

And doing the spadework at Craighall, on Edinburgh's south-east edge, will be a group of 15 year olds from Musselburgh Grammar School - all potential students when Queen Margaret University 's brand new campus opens in 2007.

The multi-million pound relocation project comprises two distinct construction projects. The £45 million construction contract for creating all of the new buildings, apart from the student residences, has been awarded to Mowlem. The company will have overall responsibility for the development of the 35-acre site during the 88-week building programme. The main financial partner for the project is Barclays, who is providing a £55 million debt facility to finance the relocation.

Sanctuary Housing, one of the UK's leading not-for-profit housing providers, is also poised to start work on the site. In December, it successfully negotiated a £30 million contract to build an 800-bed hall of residence under a public/private partnership arrangement part funded by Bank of Scotland Corporate. On completion, Sanctuary will transfer the residences into a charitable company and retain responsibility for day-to-day facilities management.

When the University relocates from its existing sites at Corstorphine, Leith and at the Gateway Theatre in Edinburgh, the Craighall campus will be home to 4,500 students and staff with a combined spending power of nearly £11 million.

Work begins on new Musselburgh campus (2 of 4)

Through its employment and education opportunities and joint activities with businesses and healthcare providers, the institution has the potential - estimated by the Fraser of Allander Institute - to boost the local economy by £32 million, and the Scottish economy by some £90 million.

Ms Rosalyn Marshall, QMUC Vice Principal and team leader of the relocation project, said: 'Today marks the beginning of the most exciting era in QMUC's development into a highly respected and focused institution in the university sector. By 2007, we shall have a striking, highly distinctive and sustainable academic village set in landscaped parkland that is sympathetic to its surroundings and both accessible and welcoming to those living and working in the area. To match this tremendously exciting physical development, we hope that by 2007 we shall also have achieved full university title. The Royal Burgh of Musselburgh is about to become a university town, with all of the consequential cultural and economic benefits for the area.'

Phase one of the new campus, designed by Dyer Architects, includes academic buildings, a combined student union, sports and drama centre, 800 residential units, landscaping and parking. All will be accessed through a gateway incorporating a pioneering high-tech learning and resource centre, located at the end of a new access road off the A1. The buildings will be set in new parkland and woodlands and is situated just 6 minutes from Edinburgh's Waverley station.

Vehicle access to the site will be controlled, with internal circulation routes prioritised for pedestrians and cyclists. Users will be encouraged to arrive by public transport, with the University Square (forming the main entry point to the site) serving as an interchange. A second major space - the 'Green Heart' - will be the master plan's central focus, linking the academic and residential accommodation.

Work begins on new Musselburgh campus (3 of 4)

Local residents will be encouraged to use the facilities at QMUC, and to make the institution their own.

QMUC's internationally renowned School of Drama and Creative Industries will also be relocating to Craighall to brand new studios and performing spaces. This will allow the School to build on its excellent relationship with the nearby Brunton Theatre to the benefit of both students and to an increasingly rich and dynamic East Lothian arts and theatre community.

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For press enquiries, please call Maggie Wright on 0131 446 0483 or 07801 710360

Photocall
Doing the spadework on Tuesday 17th January 2006 at 12.30pm at Craighall, on Edinburgh's south-east edge, will be David New, Sarah Warnock, Kris Linton and Kirsten McGill, from Musselburgh Grammar School, and potential students when Queen Margaret University 's brand new campus opens in 2007.

Directions to site

The site is only accessible from the new slip road off the A1 heading East. The slip road is between the roundabout at the start of the bypass and the exit for Fort Kinnaird. If approaching from the A720 city bypass, driver will have to turn left at the roundabout heading to Edinburgh, past the exit for Fort Kinnaird and on to the roundabout at the end to double back towards the slip road.

Work begins on new Musselburgh campus (4 of 4)

Notes for editors
Queen Margaret University
The University concluded a back-to-back deal with Persimmon, the previous owner of Craighall, in October 2002, to buy the Craighall site in exchange for QMUC's existing sites at Corstorphine, Leith and the Gateway Studios and additional development funds.

QMU leads the Scottish post-1992 higher education sector in research activity. It is internationally recognised for centres of excellence dedicated to nursing, the elderly, international healthcare and speech disability. Its School of Drama has an international reputation for combining the conservatoire and the university tradition.

Mowlem
Mowlem is a leading international provider of construction and support services, with a £2 billion annual turnover and over 25,000 employees worldwide operating through six principal business units:

Mowlem Construction Services Mowlem Asset Services
Mowlem International Mowlem Investment & Property Services
Mowlem Pall Mall Mowlem Environmental Sciences Group

Established in 1822, Mowlem has evolved from being purely a construction contractor to become a market leading construction and support services group, able to deliver a unique range of capabilities to public and private sector customers across a comprehensive range of market sectors.

For further information, please visit www.mowlem.com

Sanctuary Housing
Set up in 1969, Sanctuary Housing is the largest provider of university accommodation in the UK and a leading provider of general rented, sheltered and supported, and key worker accommodation.
Sanctuary Management Services was established in 2001 to meet the growing demand for tenancy and broader facilities management services in the NHS, further education and private finance initiative markets. It currently manages 43,000 homes throughout Scotland and England.

Barclays Business Banking Scotland
Barclay Business Banking provides relationship banking to the Group's small, medium and larger business customers. Specifically within Scotland, Barclays has a larger business banking presence located in Aberdeen, Glasgow and Edinburgh, serving the whole of Scotland. Currently, Barclays has relationships with over 40 percent of Scotland's largest 100 businesses - primarily PLCs, large private companies, and semi-state bodies. Barclays also works with some of Scotland's fastest growing medium-sized businesses.