The £30m loan from the sustainable bank will ensure that the development – which includes a 250-seat auditorium and will increase teaching and support floor space by 20% – will be completed for the 2019/20 academic year.

The new building will contain a number of sustainable features including:

• combined heat and power plant
• heat recovery systems
• solar photovoltaic panels
• rainwater harvesting
• green roof
• bat and bird boxes to promote biodiversity
• all electricity used to power the building will be bought from renewable sources

The development will also feature an art gallery, café, food hall, library, and social learning areas.

Professor Joy Carter, vice-chancellor at the University of Winchester, said that it was its ambition to become the most sustainable university in the UK.

"This project – the most ambitious in our history – typifies our commitment to this cause and is made even better by receiving funding from such a like-minded and values-driven bank."

The university hopes the building will help it to deliver its interim 2025 carbon reduction targets, having already achieved a 45% reduction in carbon emissions by floor area across its estate since 2006/07.

“There is a huge opportunity to promote large-scale positive change in the education sector,” said Rebecca Pritchard, head of business banking at Triodos Bank UK.

“This is our first loan to a UK university and it represents a significant moment in the bank's history by highlighting our commitment to supporting pioneering educational institutions. 

“Higher education is a cornerstone to building a more sustainable and inclusive society, and in the coming years we are looking forward to working with more universities that are aligned with this mission."