Ambitious plans for campus expansion at Bognor have to be scaled back

The current number of 1,250 degree students is likely to increase by some 300 instead.

The reduction has been caused by the government capping the ability of universities to recruit more and more would-be graduates as a result of the dire state of the national finances.

The university is still waiting on the final go-ahead for even the more modest expansion plan. But some changes will be taking place with new courses starting this September and next September.

Among them will be an events management course with 45 students, working at the Regis Centre, starting this autumn.

University vice-chancellor Dr Robin Baker said the university's masterplan represented a vision for the next 15 to 20 years. We do not have the money or the students to make that a reality just yet," he said.

"Any increase in the number of students on this campus will be very slow. We will see a few more students, but not a lot more, through the coming year.

"One part of me is very sad about that because it would make a huge difference to Bognor to have that amount of new life and new spending power in the town.

"Another part of me is rather relieved because the more staff and the more students we have, the more pressure there will be on the roads and parking."

Work to refurbish The Dome and build a new library is also planned to start in September 2011. Switching of the teacher training courses to Chichester to be replaced by the sports section is also envisaged.

The university's intention to move its main vehicular entrance from cramped Mead Lane to the A259 Felpham Way depended on the much-delayed opening of the Bognor northern relief road.

County highways officers would not allow the change to be made before then, he added.

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