Commercial Finance Specialists

University College London has turned to commercial property investment to bolster funds.

Universities in the UK may be increasingly taking out commercial finance to fund their forays into the property market, according to reports.

Malcolm Grant, provost of University College London, told the Financial Times that the establishment is in a unique position to enter property investment, as it has some of the highest-value estate of any university in the country.

"We've made some strategic acquisitions really at the bottom of the commercial property market," he told the newspaper.

"It makes sense to be a bit counter-cyclical at times and to see if we can do some trading and acquiring low-value estates in one or two fire sales."

Meanwhile, Chester University also has plans to redevelop a hydroelectric power plant on the River Dee in collaboration with the local authority, intending to sell the energy on the open market.

Established in 1826, University College London is one of the two founding colleges of the University of London and is located in Bloomsbury.