Contracts have been signed on the job following financial close on what is to be the first integrated, stand-alone dental hospital and dental school to be built in the UK for almost 40 years.

The development has taken 10 years to put together by partners Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Trust, the University of Birmingham, Birmingham and Solihull LIFT and Calthorpe Estates.

Dr Sarah Raper, community health partnerships executive director said: “The new Birmingham Dental Hospital is one of the largest and most exciting LIFT projects in the country. When it opens, I am certain that the project will be valued by both patients and the health care professionals who will work and study there.”

Ralph Minott, director at Calthorpe Estates added: “Calthorpe Estates has worked with Birmingham City Planning team now for ten years to realise a joint ambition for the strategic framework for Pebble Mill as a key destination for medicine and Life Sciences.

“Calthorpe Estates will kick start construction at Pebble Mill with £3.5m of infrastructure works to complete the services, estate road and public realm alongside the dental hospital construction.”

The four-storey 150,000 sq ft complex is due to open for the beginning of the 2015 autumn term.