THE University of Liverpool is considering moving thousands of students out of their traditional halls of residence in south Liverpool.

City leaders are furious at the proposal to sell Carnatic Halls, in Mossley Hill, along with Derby and Rathbone and Roscoe and Gladstone, near Greenbank Park.

Students would be relocated to sites closer to the city centre, which is already home to many students.

A University spokesman confirmed that a review of accommodation was under way.

She said: “The university is currently reviewing its residential strategy to ensure the student experience offered at Liverpool is first-rate. We are considering all options.”

Any sale would almost certainly wait for an upturn in the property market and would represent a major policy change for the university.

It has traditionally eased first year students into Liverpool life in the more affluent south end, with more than 1,000 rooms at Greenbank and even more at the six Carnatic Halls.

Council leader Warren Bradley last night said he was deeply concerned that the south Liverpool halls could close, arguing the loss of thousands of students could be devastating for the local economy around Allerton, Smithdown Road and Mossley Hill.

He said he felt “the bottom line” was often too close to the top of the agenda.

The plans are also said to include knocking down Bedford House, on Oxford Street, close to the Metropolitan cathedral and building halls of residence.

Other plans suggest large-scale residential projects close to the Management School, in Chatham Street.

A senior source at the university said: “The university wants to bring them all into town and get rid of what they’ve got around Greenbank and Wavertree. There’s also talk about selling off more recreation space down there as well.

“They’re saying things like it being about creating a vibrant night-time economy around the campus, but the campus is never going to be able to compete when you’re on the city centre’s doorstep.

“It’ll be too concentrated and crowded, compared to all that space down in south Liverpool.”

South Liverpool businessman Chris Burgess, who is also chair of the Liverpool branch of the Federation of Small Businesses, said: “Speaking personally as a businessman, it would detract from the local economy because, although they don’t necessarily have a lot of money to spend, as someone says, every little helps.

“I think the students being moved out would have a detrimental affect, because you would probably find that some shops that are just hanging in there will just go.