Facilities

Where our academic strategy delivers growth in student numbers within the faculties, we need to examine critically how we improve and use the University estate. Capital funding from government sources at the levels of recent years is unlikely to continue so a new approach is needed to help us utilise space better.

We also need to make our estate more carbon efficient. As institutions have been set challenging targets by HEFCE to reduce their CO2 emissions, the availability of future capital funding is likely to be very closely tied to performance in driving down these emissions. We need to invest in the infrastructure improvements required to achieve these reductions, as well as encouraging staff to adopt greener behaviours.

Our priorities for our estate over the period 2010–2015 will be to:

• Configure, refurbish and better utilise existing University facilities, making additional space available where required to support growth in activity. We will adopt a more integrated approach to timetabling so that we use shared learning spaces more efficiently. For Professional Services, we will launch a major project to co-locate administrative functions.
• Support the University's aim of improving our students’ experience. As well as enhancing the public spaces across our campus, we will invest in facilities designed around how students study and learn. The recent investment in our Students' Union building will be consolidated through refurbishment of the adjoining facilities in University House.
• Dispose of facilities and buildings which no longer support our strategy. This will contribute to the financial sustainability of the University over the period.
• Improve the University's utilities infrastructure, and make improvements to existing buildings, to manage and reduce our carbon emissions in line with HEFCE targets. This will be supported through initiatives to encourage more energy efficient behaviours amongst our staff and students.
• Make targeted acquisitions of strategic development sites, where they support delivery of our academic strategy.

For more detail, and information about specific actions relating to this area, please see Estates & Facilities Management.