A university is appealing a council's decision to reject its expansion plans.

In May the University of Sussex submitted plans for a £500 million expansion that included more student housing and academic buildings at its campus in Falmer.

The plans would have seen room for 1,408 more students on the East Slope and 1,122 on the West Slope, contributing to an expected 4,600 increase in students by 2018. The application also included new state-of-the-art academic and research facilities and the creation of 2,400 jobs.

However Brighton and Hove city councillors turned down the university's application at a planning meeting in June.

Among objections from planning chiefs was the loss of 453 trees, concerns over the scale and height of the plans with fears they would create a "dense urban environment" and a feeling there was a failure to demonstrate how the development would not have a negative impact on the city's housing stock.

Yesterday the University announced it would be appealing the council's decision.

Professor Michael Farthing, the University of Sussex's Vice-Chancellor, said: “We need to modernise and expand our facilities if we are to continue to attract the best and brightest academics and students as well as provide jobs that benefit thousands of local families.

“The University of Sussex is currently ranked 14th in the UK and is in the top one per cent of universities in the world. This is a huge achievement, but we can't take it for granted. Some of our facilities are more than 40 years old and we need to invest now to secure a bright future for the University and for Brighton.”

The university says its development would give the local economy a £120 million boost each year. It will now lodge its appeal with central government's Planning Inspectorate before Christmas, followed by a public hearing in Spring next year.

The Planning Inspectorate will make a recommendation to the Secretary of State following that, who will then cast a final decision.