Annual Academic Year Review 2007-2008 (17th edition)
Residential and Catering Services
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- 18 Estate and Facilities Management
- 18.3 On the Falmer Campus
- 18.4 At Grand Parade
- 18.5 At the Moulsecoomb site
17 Residential and Catering Services17.1 Residential Services17.1.1 Varley Halls Redevelopment ProjectThe project group to identify development options for the Varley halls site and to make recommendations as to the preferred option met for the first time in April 2008. The Corporate Plan includes a priority for the University to secure additional bed spaces in Brighton and it has been established that at least 500 additional bed spaces are required. Options for possible sites, such as the land behind the Watts Building and the development of Mithras House have been considered but present various practical and cost issues. Development of these sites is likely only to be possible in the longer term. Acquisition of new sites is constrained by the availability of land in Brighton and the difficulty of achieving viability where there is a site cost. The redevelopment will increase the number of bed spaces on the Varley Halls campus to assist towards the identified requirement for an additional 500-1000 bed spaces in Brighton, and it will replace 3 of the blocks of accommodation, (Balcombe, Chailey and Ditchling) which are no longer fit for purpose and beyond their useful life. The scheme will also enhance the provision of recreational and social facilities at Varley Halls to improve the quality of the student experience. It is anticipated that the redeveloped accommodation would be available to students from September 2011. 17.1.2 Hastings accommodation The increasing number of non-local students attending University Centre Hastings has focused our search for quality and affordable housing in the area. During 2007/2008, negotiations to provide a hall of residence environment for the students in Hastings have been ongoing between the University and a local developer and have now reached a successful conclusion. From September 2008, students studying at our Hastings campus will live in the first halls of residence in the town. The scheme, Robert Tressell Hall, is located in Warrior Square and provides 62 bedspaces with communal social facilities. The hall will be managed on a day to day basis on behalf of the University and the department will maintain a staffing presence at the hall to support the students in their first year at the University. The number of bed spaces that have been registered on the accommodation house hunting database, brightonstudentpad.co.uk, for the Hastings area has also seen an increase this year as staff have further engaged with the local council and landlord/owners in the area. 17.1.3 Phoenix Halls of residence To improve facilities and services to our students at the Phoenix halls of residence, redevelopment work to the communal space and reception area located in C block of the halls started in June 2008. Feedback from our students indicates that they want larger social spaces and that kitchens in flats are not always adequate. The current communal area is a good size for social space but is rarely used by students. To encourage the students to make better use of this space, new seating and a TV area is being created. The reception area is being reconfigured and refurbished to provide a more open and accessible area for students and visitors to the halls during both term and summer time. The refurbishment also provides improved office space for the residences team based at the halls, and improves site security by creating a better view of the halls and Southover Street where there have been issues related to noise and other disturbances. The building works are on schedule for completion in September 2008. 17.1.4 Code of Standards for Owners In January 2008, the University with Sussex University and the respective student unions produced a joint code of standards for owners who provide self contained accommodation for students. The purpose of the Code is to encourage owners, who want to register their accommodation with the Universities, to provide better quality and better managed homes for our students. It reflects a balance of common sense obligations and responsibilities between landlords and tenants encompassing factors such as, equality of opportunity, repairs and maintenance, health and safety and security. Compliance with the Code ensures that; both owners and tenants enjoy the benefit of good standards, management and best practice misunderstandings and disputes are reduced problems that occur are promptly resolved To date, 35% of owners (who have 43% of the total bedspaces) registered on the University’s accommodation database have signed up to the Code. 17.2 Catering Services 17.2.1 Catered Halls Over the past year the catered halls scheme has delivered a breakfast and evening meals service to 600 students resident in Moulsecoomb Place, Varley Halls and Welkin Halls. Menus took account the students nutritional and dietary needs whilst also providing variety and interest. Feedback has been generally very positive and due to the success of the scheme an enhanced service will take in 256 additional students on the Falmer campus from the start of the 2008/09 academic year. 17.2.2 Food for the Brain During 2007/08 Catering Services commenced work to gain accreditation to Food for the Brain. Food for the Brain is a non-profit educational charity which promotes awareness of the link between learning, behaviour, mental health and nutrition. The charity aims to develop independently evaluated, effective and adoptable 'models' of how society can act to promote mental health through nutrition. In association with The Russell Partnership Food for the Brain offer an accredited audit and training programme to bring food and beverage provision up to accreditation standard, and demonstrate the University’s commitment to provide nutritionally balanced food for both the body and mind. This is particularly important where Catering Services plan and provide the majority of a student’s food intake within the Catered Halls package. The accreditation is also widely recognised within primary and secondary education and has been a key factor in improving meals provision in schools. All catering services kitchens and service outlets have been audited and scores allocated based upon criteria set out by Food for the Brain. All areas scored well but fell short of the accreditation mark. During the early part of the 2008/09 academic year key members of staff will attend nutrition workshops and will act on advice and guidance from nutritionists from the Russell Partnership before re-auditing takes place in the latter part of 2008. The service is committed to joining just three other Universities (Loughborough, Leeds and Edinburgh) who have successfully improved the nutritional content of food and beverage provision through the Food for the Brain accreditation. 17.2.3 Facilities The service continues to commit resources to upgrading facilities for students and staff. New designs have been agreed for the total refurbishment of the Cockcroft Mezz Restaurant and Café Bar and also the Westlain Restaurant Service area at Falmer. Contractors have since been appointed and both areas are planned to open to customers on Monday 22nd September 2008. In September 2007 new catering facilities opened on the Grand Parade site. The combination of a modern and stylish café service with a traditional hot service restaurant has proved to be very popular with students and staff and the service looks forward to an increasing level of cash business through the next academic year. 17.2.4 Sustainable catering The service has been working with advice provided by the South East Regional Food Group to establish achievable goals in increasing local supply. As part of this work the service is undertaking an exercise to establish the provenance of all fresh food supplies and will report upon the findings when completed. This work should provide the basis for setting targets and increasing the amount of food sourced locally. It is also anticipated that future tendering arrangements for food and beverage supply contracts with the SUPC will include, where possible, the addition of tenders from locally based fresh food suppliers and distributors. Catering Services are also now represented on the SUPC Sustainability Steering Panel which comprises like minded individuals from Catering Departments in the region. The group shares sustainable development ideas and works together in developing and achieving common goals. Recent work has included the investigation into ways of reducing food packaging and disposable service equipment such as plastic cutlery and paper cups. A number of resulting initiatives have been tested including a “use your own cup scheme at UoB”. 17.3 Community Liaison Officer 17.3.1 Community relations and partnership working with external agencies The department has continued and developed its community engagement role, this role has been greatly enhanced with the employment within the department of a community liaison officer (February 08.) Community engagement work by the department has remained focused within the local areas of Brighton already identified as being heavily populated by students, Bevendean, Moulsecoomb and Hanover and with a newly emerged focus on the Elm Grove area. Within these areas the department, through the work of the Community Liaison officer, has formed good contacts and has developed positive working relationships with both local communities and partnership agencies. Within local communities the department is now represented at a number of regular strategic meetings, (Local Action Teams and Joint Action Groups.) Attendance at these meeting allows the department to be informed of potential issues, and engage fully with local communities. Good working relationships with local councillors have also proven to be beneficial. The close working relationships that have been developed allow positive early intervention in emerging issues that might otherwise negatively affect our local reputation and standing. The department has expanded its working relationship with a number of external agencies. A strategy of positive and outgoing engagement with Sussex police has enabled joint working to have been undertaken at a number of different levels. In particular it has developed its relationships with neighbourhood policing teams, especially those that operate in areas where university buildings are sited or which have high student population. This has greatly improved the department’s ability to deal satisfactory with issues of crime, disorder and student safety. A department representative has also been invited to a number of internal police meetings, particularly those that focus on crime prevention and student safety. The department has forged positive links with Environmental Health teams and Community Safety Teams in Brighton, Eastbourne and Hastings. These links have also proven to be positive and have allowed us both greater access to external resources and improved our ability to deal with both external and internal issues. The department has continued to work closely with Brighton and Hove City Council, in particular the private sector housing department. This continued contact has enabled issues associated with student housing to remain a priority. A newly convened council-university working group will enabled the department to have valuable input and contribute positively to any future legislation (local at this stage) that may be enacted and which may affect private sector housing policy and the future housing strategy for Brighton and Hove. Engagement also takes place through participation in a number of different forums and meeting with the borough councils of Eastbourne and Hastings. The enhanced working relationships with external agencies that have been developed across the three campus sites have greatly improved the departments and University’s reputation within the locations which it operates. An example of this new level of engagement producing positive results has been our ability to develop new accommodation. In particular a shortfall of accommodation in Hastings has been addressed with the acquisition of new halls of residence. 18 Estate and Facilities Management18.1 IntroductionA high level of activity on major development projects continued during the session with the aim of making continued improvements to the learning, teaching and research environment. Over £50 million worth of construction work was in progress. In addition, further progress was made on a programme of improvements to entrances and communal areas of existing university buildings. Negotiations continued on development opportunities adjacent to some of the university’s sites, including the proposed redevelopment of the former wholesale market site in Circus Street. The university has also maintained an interest in proposals for the redevelopment of the Preston Barracks site, adjacent to its Moulsecoomb site. Following the grant of planning permission for a community stadium, at Falmer, negotiations resumed with the City Council and Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club on the conditions for release of University land for the stadium, on proposals for post-permission changes to the design of the stadium, and on the management arrangements for its operation. A review of the university’s Estate Strategy was also progressed to ensure that it responds to the aims and objectives of the Corporate Plan for 2007-12. Further attention was focused on developing green and renewable sources of energy, including Combined Heat and Power units and sustainable fuel sources such as biomass. A new waste recycling scheme was introduced at the beginning of the academic year. Further progress was made on the phased implementation of the security strategy, which is planned to continue in the next session. Significant progress was made on arrangements for roll-out across the University of the Facility CMIS timetabling and resource allocation software, and an integrated estates data management system. 18.2 At Eastbourne The Welkin Residential Advisor (Residential & Catering Services) based in a flat in the Aldro building, was to be relocated to the Welkin Bungalow so that he would be closer to the Eastbourne residences and better able to assist in managing issues arising from use of them. This required planning approval for Change of Use of the property from Eastbourne Borough Council. The Bungalow is currently undergoing some minor adaptations and general maintenance before occupation which is planned for the start of the new session. As a result, Aldro flat will be vacated and it has been agreed that subject to gaining permission for Change of Use, the space will be allocated to the Clinical Research Centre for expansion of its research activities. The temporary planning permission for the portacabins located on the car park at Greynore 1, Darley Road, expired. After considering the options either for re-use within the university or for disposal, it was agreed to seek a renewal of temporary planning permission for a further three years (until March 2010) which was duly granted. The rooms within the portacabin are now used for undergraduate and postgraduate teaching. 18.3 On the Falmer Campus18.3.1 Phase 4/5 Following a formal tender process, the contractor originally appointed for Phase 4/5 of the campus regeneration discovered an error in the tender they had submitted for the main contract for this building and subsequently resubmitted a significantly higher offer which the University could not accept. Following a small delay, an alternative arrangement was negotiated with a different contractor and construction of the new building commenced on site in January 2008. Work progressed towards the anticipated completion date of August 2009. Completion of the building will see the transfer of the Faculty of Education and Sport, the School of Education and the School of Languages, Literature and Communication from the limited life CLASP Buildings. Phase 4/5 will also provide a suite of pooled accommodation on the 4th and 5th floors and a prime central location adjacent to the campus pedestrian thoroughfare for Student Services, Registry, Finance and the site medical provision. It will augment the campus catering facilities, provide a replacement for the Asa Briggs Hall and also an additional small lecture theatre accommodating approximately 150 students. Some modest adjustment to accommodation allocations in Mayfield House will take place upon completion of Phase 4/5. 18.3.2 Sports facilities In accordance with the Falmer Campus master plan, preparations are being made for replacement/additional sports facilities. £9 million has been identified for the project. A feasibility study for a new sports hall is nearing completion. When the planning and tender process has been completed, work is programmed to commence early in 2009 with completion anticipated approximately 14 months later. The new building will provide a multi sport/activities hall with changing and disabled facilities. Also included in the building will be a reception area with vending and seating, a fitness suite, meetings room and offices for staff from Sport and Recreation Services and associated units currently located in Dallington House. Eight tennis/netball courts are to be constructed adjacent to the synthetic football pitch completed in September 2007, close to the Paddock Field residences. These new courts will replace the ones located near Turnpike Piece which are to be displaced by the Community Stadium. 18.4 At Grand Parade18.4.1 Main building A new extension to the Kingswood Street Wing has provided a restaurant with roof terrace and an enclosed “link” to the exhibition galleries on the Grand Parade frontage. The “link” provides a social and break-out area incorporating a new bar/servery which can also be used in conjunction with events at the Sallis Benney Theatre and faculty activities requiring, for example, exhibition space. The project included the complete refurbishment of the Sallis Benney theatre and new Students’ Union Offices on the mezzanine floor adjacent to their shop. This second phase sees the completion of a project which commenced with the provision of a state-of-the-art Research Centre, a Centre for Teaching and Learning in Design, the new Students’ Union shop and a spacious open access computer suite. The latest facilities now provide an attractive and adaptable venue for both academic use as a lecture theatre and for commercial purposes. 18.4.2 Circus Street A conditional development agreement was entered into with the City Council and the Cathedral Group (the preferred developer) for a joint redevelopment proposal for the former wholesale market site on Circus Street. The redevelopment proposal includes a new purpose-built facility to accommodate a university library, offices, seminar and lecture theatre accommodation which, together with a reallocation of some space within the Grand Parade Main Building, would allow disposal of the University’s Circus Street and Pavilion Parade annexes. Viability assessments of the development proposals commenced. 18.5 At the Moulsecoomb site18.5.1 New building Planning permission was obtained for a major new building, to be known as the Bio-Science Building, to be constructed to the north-west of the Cockcroft Building, near to the railway station. In response to budgetary issues it was agreed that the development would be constructed as a single phase. This required the early decanting and demolition of the Project Block, Pharmacology Annexe and Radiation Block. Occupants were moved to alternative locations prior to handover of the site to the contractor in April 2008. The programme for the whole development spans 21 months with completion anticipated in January 2010. 18.5.2 Refurbishment of the Cockcroft Building A Cockcroft Refurbishment Project Group was established in September 2007, Chaired by the Dean of the Faculty of Science and Engineering, to consider in detail how the space in the building will be reallocated when the School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences have moved most of their activity into the new building and Cockcroft is progressively refurbished. The refurbishment is planned to commence on completion of the new building. Broad proposals have been agreed in principle that will see the upper floors of the Tower Block being used primarily for academic purposes and social and learning areas accommodated below. The lower floors of the Tower Block, mezzanine and ground floors will ultimately become the focus for student support facilities and activities. It is also proposed that this will include the transfer of Student Services from Moulsecoomb Place Manor House and Tithe Barn (excluding One World Nursery) into this area. Directory: reg reg -> Board of Historic Resources Quarterly Meeting 16 June 2016 Sponsor Markers Diversity reg -> Port Cambeltown dated 8th April 1830 Name reg -> Contents september 2009 I. Executive order reg -> In this issue reg -> Reginald irenee vachon reg -> Index for the Register Volumes 72-108 (1974-2010) reg -> A century of ufo sightings and Close Encounters in the Midwest Download 2.04 Mb. Share with your friends:
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