Prince Charles spent a term at Aberystwyth in 1969 An historic hall of residence at Aberystwyth University where Prince Charles stayed as a student could be replaced by a new £45m scheme.
Pantycelyn became one of the first halls for Welsh-speaking students in 1974, but the university plans to build a new development on farmland.
Up to 1,000 students could be based there and not just those from Welsh speaking backgrounds.
The Prince of Wales stayed at Pantycelyn for a term in 1969.
The new self-catering accommodation is earmarked for university farmland behind the Pentre Jane Morgan student village, and building work, costing between £40m and £45m, could start in autumn 2012.
The university said the project underlined its commitment to “improving the quality of the accommodation”.
“The university will be engaging with student representatives to ensure the new halls provide the living experience…future generations of Aberystwyth students will expect”
Rebecca Davies Aberystwyth University Pro Vice-Chancellor
University pro vice-chancellor Rebecca Davies said: “Aberystwyth offers one of the best student experiences in the UK.”
She said the project was the “biggest single strategic element” of its plan, underlying a commitment to improve accommodation, with an emphasis on self-catering, en-suite rooms.
“As the process unfolds, as well as working closely with the local community and planners, the university will be engaging with student representatives to ensure the new halls provide the living experience, in terms of social and technological facilities, that future generations of Aberystwyth students will expect.”
Aberystwyth Guild of Students and the Welsh language student body, Undeb Myfyrwyr Cymraeg Aberystwyth (UMCA), were unavailable for comment.
Plans to close Pantycelyn were first mooted in 2008. At the time there was speculation the building could be converted into offices for university staff.
Pantycelyn opened in the early 1950s, and became one of the first halls of residence for Welsh-speaking students in 1974.
The Prince of Wales stayed there when he studied at Aberystwyth University for a term in the spring of 1969.
The BBC’s One Show presenter Alex Jones was also a student at Pantycelyn, while the eminent Welsh historian John Davies was a warden there for 18 years.
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