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Speaking after the city council granted planning permission in December last year, university officials said construction of the £135m, 12-storey building for its business, law and humanities degrees would begin in the spring.

But six months on contracts for the project are still being tendered for the redevelopment of the former Victorian swimming baths site.

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An artist's impression of what the new University of Portsmouth building in Victoria Park will look like

‘Now that Portsmouth City Council has given planning permission for a stunning new academic building in Victoria Park, the university is currently under way with the tender process for the contractor,’ a university spokesman said.

‘Like the rest of the economy, the building industry has been impacted in various ways including shortages of both construction materials and labour, transport and supply problems and price inflation. During this unprecedented time, it is taking longer to finalise contractors' proposals for the works.'

Despite these delays, last month the city council also approved the erection of university-branded hoardings around the site in a sign that construction is progressing.

A report by planning officers published with the decision said the 'attractive' imagery would 'enhance its visual character' while work is carried out and that it would be replaced with planting once the building is finished.

A CGI view of the exterior of the University of Portsmouth's new academic building in Victoria Park Credit FCBS

Planning permission for the building was granted by the city council's planning committee last year despite concerns around the shadow it would cast over Victoria Park.

‘I’ve got every sympathy with the people who use the park who will find the change difficult,’ the now chairman of the committee Judith Smyth said at the time. ‘I hope that they would find some benefit in having further access to the new building, which then will open up that corner which isn’t used as much as the rest of the park.’

The building will providing teaching spaces and lecture theatres while a ‘destination’ restaurant and roof terrace were also approved for the top floor.

The university said the building would be ‘net zero carbon ready’ and that it expected construction to be completed in 2024.

Work on University of Portsmouth's new building in Victoria Park is delayed