PLANS for two colleges to be built at the University of York’s Campus East have been submitted.

The new buildings, on land bounded by Goodricke Lane and Baird Lane, would provide 1,421 beds at the site.

The application would see two new colleges built on the site, with a triangular area between the structures where students can socialise.

Planning documents say: “The two groups of student residential buildings are organised as colleges – North and South. Both colleges are planned around a centrally located hub, which forms the social heart and functions as a ‘front door’ to the college. The layouts for both colleges are based on courtyard forms.”

The application says the development will also include a network of covered walkways which is “one of the features everyone notices and remembers about Campus West”. The developers say these walkways provide “in-their-slippers” access for students to move between buildings.

The scheme is part of the university’s ongoing expansion and renewal plans. Since 2000 the institution has invested in 20 new buildings on Campus West and the first and second phases of a £500 million expansion at Campus East have been completed.

The North College is set to feature 730 rooms and the South College will have 691 rooms, including 213 premium bedrooms.

Planning documents say: “The proposed student residential development and associated social hubs on Campus East forms an important part of the University of York 2018 Masterplan as it will further establish this as a university campus, in line with the institution’s other investments in this location.

“The new student residences are needed to meet both growing student numbers and improving the overall quality of accommodation stock that the university is able to offer.”

The plans say the development will enable the university to continue to guarantee rooms for all first year undergraduate students and overseas students.

And the documents say much of the university’s existing accommodation is becoming “tired” and “no longer meets student expectations".