Report to Executive Board (For Council)
Report to Executive Board (for Council)
14 June 2017
Estate Strategy Update Report
1. Introduction
Since 2012 our Estate Strategy has been updated with annual reports to Council. This document provides a further high level update on projects including those in construction, in design and under consideration, sets out the strategic direction for the estate, estate performance and identifies key issues.
Since the update to Council in July 2016, our estate holdings, strategy and objectives remain much the same, previously identified projects have been progressed and some new strategic projects have been agreed. In September 2016 the Campus Masterplan was presented to Newcastle City Council Members to inform them of the University’s strategic direction, contribution to knowledge, world ranking and £1bn per annum in the local economy and the estate development necessary to achieve this. We also showed the positive progress achieved in improving the physical environment and environmental sustainability.
The Masterplan Review for Science Central has been adopted as planning guidance and improves and clarifies many aspects. It has been adopted as planning guidance and each plot developer is separately applying for full planning permission. Development is actively proceeding, with denser development within plots balanced by outstanding plans for sustainable urban drainage within the landscaping. As part of the vision for urban sustainability, a District Energy Centre is proposed.
Our UK estate includes:
· The Newcastle Campus including the Medical School, much of our student residential accommodation, the Campus for Ageing and Vitality at the former Newcastle General Hospital site, the Centre for Life, Newcastle Business School and Science Central, outlying student residential accommodation, sports fields and outstations – Cockle Park and Nafferton Farms, Dove Marine, Tyne Offshore and Blyth Harbour
· Newcastle University London
· PHES Research Facility, Fareham, Hampshire
In addition to the UK estate, we operate a campus in Malaysia, occupy floor space in the Singapore Institute of Technology at Ngee Ann and Nanyang Polytechnics in Singapore. We have leased and fitted out additional space at the Singapore Devan Nair Employment Employability Institute.
Since July 2016 the operational estate area has increased from 216,031m2 NIA (net internal area) to 219,118m2 primarily down to the addition of new facilities. The floor area is estimated to increase further to 222,376m2 by July 2018 as new buildings, refurbishments and extensions become operational.
2. Strategic Objectives
The estate strategic objectives are to facilitate academic priorities and:
· improve the condition and functional suitability of our buildings
· implement the Coherent Campus initiative
· ensure effective utilisation of space
· deliver ‘full life cycle’ value for money on all major projects
We also have the following principles:
· Better before more, improve the condition and functional suitability of the Campus, whilst identifying surplus or under-performing buildings that can be released for complementary uses that will integrate the campus with the city.
· We will seek to co-locate similar activities.
· Where possible non-academic functions (predominantly PSS) will not be accommodated in academic buildings.
· We must reduce the carbon footprint of our estate.
· We are committed to inclusive design to ensure the Campus is accessible to, and usable by as many people as possible without the need for special adaptions or design.
· We strive for quality teaching and research environments for excellent student experience.
The Campus Masterplan by Sir Terry Farrell in 2002 has largely been implemented. It is being updated and extended to include the route to Park View student residences and the Library Precinct. Much positive progress has been achieved with external spaces, following the principle of improving public realm.
3. Progress against Strategic Objectives
3.1 Improve the Condition and Functional Suitability of Our Buildings
Our strategy continues to improve the quality and functional suitability of our floor space through investing in maintenance, new build, refurbishment, rationalising the use of floor space and withdrawing from or finding alternative uses for space that is no longer fit for purpose. Since our first Strategy in 2007 increased investment, has delivered improvements in the amount of floor space in functional suitability grades 1 & 2 (67% in 2007; 91% in 2016) and the amount of floor space in condition categories A & B (78% in 2007; 88% in 2016).
Estate condition has improved greatly due to sustained investment and has focused on urgent priorities such as refurbishment of building fabric and replacement of obsolete plant and infrastructure, however as buildings age the cost of long term maintenance backlog continues to grow. The latest condition survey estimates it at £38m with infrastructure and services as the main cost issues.
Phased work in occupied buildings is very difficult and in order to completely refurbish an area without leaving a legacy of services issues, decant space is required.
Some buildings are nearing the end of their lives with structural issues beginning to emerge e.g. King George VI Building and Windsor Terrace where further intrusive survey inspections to determine their life expectancy are underway.
The building condition survey carried out in January 2017 identified problems with the structural steelwork in King George VI and a sum of £250k was allocated from long term maintenance to re-seal the external cracking to the brickwork. ESS are seeking advice from historic building experts regarding a long term solution to the problem, once their report and schedule of indicative costs for a permanent solution, if there is one, are received the long term maintenance plan will be updated accordingly.
Improving the condition of the estate may be done as part of the long term maintenance program, be included within major refurbishment projects (as for Claremont Tower) or as a capital replacement project (as for the Stephenson Building).
In addition to increasing the percentage of building condition A & B is the requirement to factor in the longevity of services infrastructure within properties undergoing large scale refurbishment or improvement. This is often an under-valued element of a refurbishment project as costs are often high and visual impact is limited. A recent survey of the Daysh/Claremont Complex has suggested this element of the refurbishment may be as high as £9.9m (works cost). Site wide infrastructure e.g. the high voltage installation is crucial to the continued operation of the University, significant investment over a period of 8 years is planned with the renewal of high (HV) voltage switchgear and transformers. The upgrade will also allow academic colleagues to obtain real-time data on the operation of the extensive HV network. The underground duct system, through which many services are routed is also being refurbished due to structural issues as well as corroded pipework systems.
The table below shows the percentage of the estate in condition A & B as steady over the last four years, whilst there are many elements within buildings that are assessed as condition C, bringing them up to condition A & B will not have a large impact upon the overall condition of the estate. This combined with some elements in buildings completed within the last 15 years now at a point where they require continued investment in long term maintenance in order to keep those buildings at condition B, means that continued investment in long term maintenance is crucial in order to maintain the estate at the current level. For 2017-18 the long term maintenance budget is £3.0m. Within this ESS has allocated £0.5m to accessibility improvements while £0.5m is allocated to the capital high voltage network refurbishment and upgrade.Both are essential to ensure a safe, sustainable, accessible estate. A significant sum is spent on asbestos removal annually. Since 2000/01, Newcastle has reported a 14 percentage point improvement (from 74%) in the amount of non-residential space graded in good condition (condition A/B). In 2015/16 Newcastle maintained 88% of its non-residential space graded in good condition, and 13 peer estates reported improved rates of change. The long term maintenance budget for investment in aspects that affect this rating is £2.0m for 2017-18 and our target for buildings in condition A & B has been held at 88%.The budget both contributes towards maintenance aspects of refurbishment projects and benefits from major refurbishment programmes that address maintenance issues. The programme is carefully and continually assessed and adjusted and monitored by a Steering Group.
Floor space in condition category A & B / 88% / 88% / 88% / 88%* / 88%
Floor space in functional suitability grade 1 & 2 / 91% / 91% / 91% / 90%* / 90%
*estimated
For functional suitability, since 2000-01, Newcastle reported one of the best sector improvements (+57% points) in the amount of non-residential space graded functionally suitable (grades I and II) as per the table above. Newcastle continues to rank in the best quartile across UK estates with 91% of non-residential space graded in category 1 & 2 in 2015-16 against an improved Russell Group median of 88% (up 2% points). We are estimating a slight reduction to 90% for 2016-17 and will probably maintain this for 2017-18.
Feedback from the National Student Survey, Post Graduate Taught Experience Survey, Post Graduate research Experience Survey and the International Student Barometer, continues to place the estate and facilities in a positive light with satisfaction this year increasing to 92%. Feedback about the campus at Open Days continues to be excellent. Having an attractive campus environment within the city centre always attracts positive comparison with rival universities.
The learning, teaching and student experience spend in summer 2016 was £1.5m and spend is estimated at £1m for summer 2017. This programme has been suspended for 2017-2018 pending improved university financial performance and therefore no works are planned for summer of 2018. Research and collaborative working between estates, IT colleagues, academics and students to create innovative learning and teaching space has generated significant improvements to the learning and teaching environment. As well as trialing more flexible furniture in various locations, with good feedback so far, the 100 seat Learning Lab in Herschel Building enables interactive problem-based group teaching. The Learning and Teaching Centre will provide a collaborative lecture theatre where students can sit in groups for interactive learning.
3.2 Implement the Coherent Campus Initiative
Since 2009 we have invested £8.7m in improving the spaces between buildings, providing a high quality, accessible, pedestrian priority campus, including over £0.5m in improved cycling infrastructure. Our Green Flag accreditation was renewed.
The principal investments in 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 were:
· As part of the “Greening the campus” a review of our campus spaces was undertaken with the intent to replace where possible hard landscaped spaces with green/planting spaces. A prioritized plan was produced to reflect this wish. From this extensive work has been implemented to ‘green’ the campus providing approximately 5000 plants and 70 trees.
· Also as part of the Greening the campus” initiative Ridley Terraces hard landscaping was replaced with new planting areas and the Cassie frontage onto Claremont road was re-modelled with fresh planting.
· The completion of the King’s Road landscaping works adjacent to King George VI building introducing additional soft landscape areas to “green” up King’s Road.
· The INTO development provided additional bin storage with a green roof to help manage the commercial premises bins in Assembly Lane
· A new facility at Park Terrace to segregate and recycle waste
· Timber screening and planting to the Curtis Auditorium undercroft, to start the improvement of the space adjacent to the INTO building entrance. In addition, Haymarket Lane fencing/screening has been erected. Some of the planned Lovers Lane improvement proposals have also been installed
· As part of Art on Campus and for the Freedom City celebrations in 2017, a sculpture of Martin Luther King was commissioned from Nigel Boonham, a top UK figurative sculptor. This will be erected in October this year in the Armstrong Quad as a culmination of the Armstrong renovation celebrations
· Drainage improvements to the soft landscaping area at Park Terrace and the Student Union lawn
Following our flooding in 2012, we have incorporated sustainable urban drainage in all our landscape and facilities planning and design working in close collaboration with the academic water management team in the School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences. This has been recognized with a Green Gowns Highly Commended Award from the Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges and a Highly Commended Award from Educate North and Higher Education Leadership. We have also been shortlisted for a Times Higher Education Supplement Outstanding Estate Strategy Award.
Current and Future Landscaping Projects include:
· The Forum landscaping is being extended around the Boiler House Event Space for completion in September 2017
· Completion of the phased landscaping of King’s Road joining up the Forum landscaping and St Thomas Street road entrance phase adjacent to King George VI building
· Carry on from the initial Lovers Lane improvement schemes, and in particular improve the pedestrian route from the Park View student residences & Sports Centre extension developments locations past the Dental school and onto the main campus
· Continue to develop plans to re-develop/landscape the “Herschel Quad” space
· Continue to identify spaces to increase the bike parking provision with covered/secure spaces alongside the uncovered bike hoop type spaces along with necessary signage amendments & improvements as the campus is developed.
· Newcastle City Council has advised it will commence highways work to Percy Street, Barras Bridge and Haymarket in 2017. The University had offered to contribute significant funding to uplift the quality of public realm, pedestrian safety and connectivity to the city centre. While it is good news if it proceeds, we understand the work is to be carried out in temporary surfaces and as there can be no certainty as to whether and when they might be improved the University has regretfully withdrawn its contribution.
· All the roads around our city centre campus are scheduled for improvement. Although the Council is committed to a large programme which will help transform the city centre, unfortunately progress has been slower than we would have liked.