A contractor is now needed for the £15m first phase to design and construct townhouse style buildings of three to four storeys. Each house will accommodate up to 8-12 bedrooms with shared bathroom and kitchen facilities.

At tender, the design with be at RIBA stage B and the selected contractor will be responsible for obtaining full planning permission.

UWE Bristol bought 70 acres of land from its neighbour Hewlett-Packard three years ago with the aim of creating one of the most modern university campuses in the UK.

Its proposed development will offer a variety of accommodation from town house, dormitory and studio-style designs.

Some of the accommodation is being designed for housing should the student market diminish.

Firms have until the end of March to complete the prequal process with a contract expected to be signed in July.

A PQQ can be downloaded from the web portal. Contact Helen Baker: tel 011732 82239