22 November 2012 Last updated at 10:30 ET

University of East Anglia unveils £12m student eco-hall plans

The university is planning £58m of building works in the next five years

The University of East Anglia has announced plans for a £12m energy-efficient student accommodation block to meet increasing demand for places.

The 231-bedroom, low-energy halls will be built on the eastern edge of its Norwich campus, the university said.

The building would have "extremely high standards of sustainability" and include high levels of insulation.

No plans have been submitted but it is hoped it will be open by September 2014.

The university said the move followed high demand for campus accommodation from first-year undergraduates and new postgraduates.

University vice-chancellor Prof Edward Acton said: "This new building will be extremely energy efficient - an increasingly important factor for our socially responsible students."

The halls form part of £58m of building works at the university planned in the next five years, including the construction of the low-carbon NRP Enterprise Centre, a new teaching building and the refurbishment of its Grade II-listed "ziggurat" accommodation blocks.

A public consultation on the plans is taking place until 14 December.