BOURNEMOUTH University's latest building marked an important milestone this week as it welcomed a limited number of staff and students for the first time.

The Bournemouth Gateway Building (BGB) is located in Lansdowne and can be seen from the A338 Wessex Way at St Paul's Roundabout.

Access to the facility will initially be limited to staff and postgraduate research (PGR) students while they familiarise themselves with the building and complete their unpacking.

Members of the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences will be able to settle into their office spaces, with priority being given to colleagues who were previously based in Royal London House. Staff based in Bournemouth House will move into the BGB during November.

If possible, BU said it will also enable some organised access to the building for final year students.

All other facilities and services, including the Bournemouth House Library, SUBU, the Open Access Centre and the catering facilities will move to BGB during December. This will ensure that the building is ready for full timetabled use from January 2021.

A statement from BU said: "The building is a huge milestone for the BU estate – and for the research, teaching and learning quality of our staff and students in the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences, as well as all members of the BU community.

"Not only does it offer a unified base for the faculty, which has been taking place across several buildings on Lansdowne Campus, but it will also offer the latest specialist equipment for their education, research and practice."

The BGB is the largest and most complex estate development in the institution's history and it represents a significant milestone in the establishment's development.