ARU Peterborough aims to open science block in September

Builders and guests celebrate the topping out of ARU Peterborough's new £32m science and technology block

One of the UK's newest universities is preparing for a new batch of students as builders construct a £32m science and technology block.

Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) Peterborough, which opened in September 2022, aims to start using its second teaching building next September.

A "topping out" ceremony has taken place at the construction site.

ARU described the new block as a "Living Lab public science and technology space".

University management said it would offer students, local people, and visitors an "interactive, flexible space" for events, exhibits and talks.

They said the aim was to "engage and inspire" residents and visitors in science, technology, engineering, and maths topics.

• Album cover-style prospectus to lure investors

• Outdoor pool temperature could be cut to save money

• Capturing changing faces of the city over 40 years

ARU Peterborough's principal, Prof Ross Renton, said the "topping out" of the block - an age-old tradition marking the placing of the final beam or brick on a new building- was a "milestone" for the university.

"We will be open for our new students in this building this September, where they will benefit from some fantastic new facilities," he said.

"This building has got a unique combination of facilities."

Work on the new Living Lab building began in June 2023 on the site of the former Regional Pool car park in Peterborough city centre

Prof Renton said the aim of the Living Lab was to allow the public to engage with university researchers and industry experts and it provided an opportunity to get people "excited" about technology and science.

"The role of ARU Peterborough is to inspire future generations to meet the challenges of a changing world and equip them with the tools to thrive," he said.

Officials said the new building had cost £32m, which included £20m from the government's "levelling up" fund.

Contributions also came from the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority's Business Board, Peterborough City Council, and from ARU itself (which also has main campuses in Cambridge and Chelmsford),