AN £11 million environmental research centre is to be built at Lancaster University.

This week the university's vice-chancellor, Prof Bill Ritchie, signed a contract with the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) to construct and develop the new centre on the Bailrigg campus.

Work will start in June and 70 top scientists will be moving to the area to take up positions at the centre which is expected to be a world leader.

The new building will be built with two wings and will include five specialist laboratories, 15 new glass houses and 10 controlled environment rooms.

Millions of pounds of specialist equipment will also be installed in the building including NERC's Stable Isotope Facility which allows scientists to track substances like nitrogen and carbon through the environment.

Prof Bill Davies of Lancaster University's top-rated Environmental Research Group said: "The relationship between NERC and the university will undoubtedly be a fruitful and beneficial one. There is a good fit between the university research and the NERC research that will move to Lancaster.

"We have world leaders in several of our research groups and these magnificent new facilities can only help in allowing us to address ever more important environmental issues and exploit funding opportunities."

Under the deal NERC will contribute £6.8 million to the building and the university £4 million.

The new research will be one of Europe's biggest and will make Lancaster a centre of excellence for environmental research.