University of Portsmouth plans new campus in London

The university hopes to open the new campus in Waltham Forest in north-east London

Plans for a new University of Portsmouth campus in London have been announced.

The university said it was looking to open a campus in the capital as many students come from London and there was limited space to expand in Portsmouth.

A full business case for the proposal in Waltham Forest is expected to be finalised by the end of the year.

If it goes ahead, the campus could open to its first students by 2023.

Prof Graham Galbraith, vice-chancellor of the University of Portsmouth, said: "[We are] committed to widening participation in higher education for those who might not have considered going to university in the past.

Cosmology and astrophysics

"We know that many of our students come to Portsmouth from London, and that many more London students would want to come to Portsmouth but can't because of their circumstances."

The proposed site for the campus in north-east London has yet to be revealed.

The university currently offers a range of courses, including specialist subjects like cosmology and astrophysics, cyber security, forensics and sport science.

It also recently submitted a planning application to build a new £135m research and teaching space on the site of the former Victoria Swimming Pool in Anglesey Road, Portsmouth.

If planning consent is given in the autumn, work is expected to start in spring 2022 with the building set to open in 2024.