 Lancaster University has 600 standby rooms for students |
Lancaster University has reassured students it has contingency plans if a major expansion is hit by the financial problems facing builders Jarvis. A third was wiped off Jarvis's share value earlier this month following a warning over spiralling debts.
The university's director of finance and resources, Andrew Neil, said it was retaining older blocks earmarked for demolition in case of problems.
Sixteen hundred rooms are due for completion in September.
It is part of a three-phase development which will eventually lead to more than 3,000 new rooms being built on campus.
Campus development
The university currently has 600 standby rooms available on campus to ensure no students will be homeless.
Jarvis is part of a university partnership initiative that is behind the development.
Banks have given the firm until the end of the month to produce a rescue plan, but some city analysts say an assets sale or bankruptcy lies ahead.
Mr Neil said any problems experienced by Jarvis would not leave students without rooms on campus.
"We have put in place a number of plans and we are obviously aiming for as many students as possible to be in the new rooms," he said.
"But should that not happen for any reason we have contingency plans in place."
The university has a 30-year lease with Jarvis for the project but Mr Neil said the development was backed by major banks and had a legal framework to protect it from any "potential disruption".
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