Space Management Policy

Newcastle University is committed to providing an efficient, sustainable estate that is functionally suitable and ensures value for money whilst meeting the needs of our staff, students and visitors.

In 2011 the UK Funding Councils selected Newcastle as an exemplar of outstanding progress across several key estate metrics including space management. In 2000, wehad more space per student and lower functional suitability than most UK Universities. Since then, wehave implemented a Space Management Policy,central timetabling, room auditing,space allocation procedures, and an intranet based property register. Cost drivers have highlighted the importance of estate cost in the financial performance of academic units and a space committee introduced. Since 2001 functional suitability has improved by 43% and space per student and staff FTE[1] reduced by 5.1m2. However, we still have a very large floor-space and poorer functional suitability than peer universities. Building upon recent progress we need to deliver high quality teaching and research environments that match or exceed our competitors. Renewed focus on space management is required to support this and meet the challenge of carbon reduction.

The Space Management Policy supportsNewcastle’s vision of asa “civic university with a global reputation for academic excellence”. To meet the challenges of the next decade our space management policy has been revised to ensure that our estate remains affordable and fit for purpose.

Better not More

Investing in efficient quality space and releasing the least functionally suitable environments facilitates campus regeneration and enhancement; the space management maxim is ‘better not more’. The existing Estate Strategy has delivered improvements in the amount of floor space in functional suitabilitygrades 1 & 2[2]and conditioncategories A & B[3]. In addition,we have doubled the amount of floor space let to third parties (ca 29,000m2). The Vision 2021 mission statement will be supported by this policy:

To be a world-class research intensive university – we are committed to research excellence and innovation and need toensure our research helps address some of the key global issues by focusing on selected societal challenge themes. The Space Management Group Affordable Estate model would suggest that we have 23,000m2 too much Research space, given the volume of research grant and income. We will:-

  • work with units to reduce and rationalise inefficient research space
  • ensure there is no duplication of research facilities where they can be shared between groups or faculties
  • optimise use and build upon areas of research strength, creating new added value and unique research facilities

To deliver teaching and facilitate learning of the highest quality –as of 2010, 94% of our teaching rooms had a functional suitability of grade 1 or 2. Frequency of use of all teaching roomswas 50% against our 2012 target of 60%. Teaching and learning spaces need to be high quality,accessible, and technology rich to enhance the student and staff experience. We will:-

  • review the design of teaching and learning spaces, including their condition and functional suitability and co-ordinate maintenance
  • undertake biennial fitness for purpose surveys, closely monitor usage, and free poorly utilised rooms, making them available for alternative use
  • set challenging frequency and utilisation targets[4]and improve the management of teaching room bookings to maximise occupancy

To play a leading role in the economic, social and cultural development of the North East of England – co-location with high calibre business and industrial collaborators will ensure the University secures its future as a research institution. We will:-

  • adopt policies that encourage space sharing andfree up redundant and underperforming properties for alternative uses
  • develop incubator accommodation, promoting Third Party useto support the importance of co-location of research with industry
  • encourage the use of vacant space to support the creation of spin-out and spin-in businesses to develop third strand and/or commercial activities
  • develop new buildings, where business cases support either directly or with partners, releasing space to enable major relocations and rationalisations
  • support the Science City initiative and develop the key societal challenge themes of Sustainability, Ageing, and Social Renewal

Creating a Coherent, Accessible and High Quality Environment

We are proud of our University and the city-centre location puts us at the centre of city life. An important aspect of our development programme is to improve the external look and feel of our campus, providing an attractive and safe environment for all who use it. We will:

  • create coherent, accessible and high quality external and internal environments
  • use a consistent palette of materials, street furniture and improved way-finding and signage
  • improve our public realm space, providing better connectivity with the city
  • invest in the landscaping of public areas to create a distinctive, welcoming and accessible environment for our students, staff, visitors and the local community

Effective Use of Space

Heads of Units, working with their Estate Faculty Co-ordinators, are responsible for ensuring that theirallocated space is well utilised and future space needs are planned. Users who demonstrate good space utilisation and have considered their long-term strategic space needs may receive preference when investment and space allocation decisions are made. We will:

  • meet building users biennially to consider fitness for purpose of space, ensure that all allocated space is well utilised and future needs are planned
  • improve the condition and functional suitability of the buildings
  • identify surplus or underperforming buildings that can be released for complementary uses that will integrate the campus with the city
  • improve effective utilisation of space and the net to gross space ratio
  • seek to co-locate similar activities and match functions to space type
  • refurbish unpopular space and consolidate space where possible to bring it into effective use
  • encourage the use of flexible, efficient, and economical open plan accommodation
  • implement and review robust space management procedures
  • ensure that our space management database is up-to-date and accurate and that data is transparent
  • undertake effective space analysis and assessment as and when the need arises using robust space management tools
  • employ key performance indicators and undertake peer group benchmarking
  • report bi-monthly to the Space Utilisation, Monitoring and Arbitration Committee (SUMAC) and annually to Executive Board and Council

Effective Space Allocation

Space Guidelines willassist the process of space allocation and the assessment of space utilisation. The guidelines will be implemented for new-build projectshowever structural constraints will influence the refurbishment of existing buildings.The guidelines will be subject to regular review. We will:-

  • employ challenging space guidelines and space targets[5]to increase utilisation and control estate size
  • ensure that no member of staff has more than one office, promote sharing of offices where they are over 14m2 in sizewith a preference for open plan accommodation
  • provide shared office space(possibly hot-desk) for part-time and guest academics, administrative staff, contract staff, and postgraduate research students
  • for those roles where a significant amount of confidential work is undertaken, the provision of individual offices may be considered
  • not allocate space to contract staff during non-contracted periods
  • explore smart-working through the ESS pilot for potential wider roll-out

Governance

Strong senior level commitment is a key success factor in achieving estate objectives. The Space Utilisation, Monitoring and Arbitration Committee chaired by the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Planning and Resources) will underpin ‘Vision 2021’ and help deliver estate strategic direction, ensure value for money and an affordable, sustainable and fit for purpose estatethrough effective space utilisation.

APPENDIX

Benchmarking Data and Estate Strategy Targets

Table 1: Gross Internal Area in m2per Student & Staff FTE

Measure / 06/07 / 07/08 / 08/09 / 09/10 / 10/11 / 11/12 / 12/13
Newcastle University / 14.8 / 14.3 / 13.9 / 14.5 / 14.5 / 13.8* / 13.5*
EMS Group Median / 13.1
TRAC Group Median / 13.9 / 13.4
SMG Estate Size / 11.4
* / Estimated

Table 2: Percentage of floor space in Functional Suitability Grades 1 & 2

Measure / 06/07 / 07/08 / 08/09 / 09/10 / 10/11 / 11/12 / 12/13
Newcastle University / 68 / 81 / 77 / 79 / 80 / 82* / 84**
EMS Group Median / 79 / 86 / 85 / 88 / 87
TRAC Group Median / 79 / 83
* / Estimated
** / Estate Strategy Target

Table 3: Percentage of floor space in Condition Categories A & B

Measure / 06/07 / 07/08 / 08/09 / 09/10 / 10/11 / 11/12 / 12/13
Newcastle University / 80 / 84 / 86 / 87 / 89 / 88* / 89**
EMS Group Median / 69 / 80 / 79 / 81 / 83
TRAC Group Median / 81 / 81
* / Estimated
** / Estate Strategy Target

Table 4: Teaching Room Targets for Frequency and Utilisationby percentage

Measure / 06/07 / 07/08 / 08/09 / 09/10 / 10/11 / 11/12 / 12/13
Frequency / 45(50#) / 47(49#) / 51(49#) / 54(50#) / 57(52#) / 60** / 60*
Utilisation / 25(26#) / 26(22#) / 27(26#) / 28(29#) / 29(26#) / 30** / 30*
* / Estimated
** / Estate Strategy Target
# / Achieved

Table 5: Office space guidelines for new buildings in m2

Space / m2 per person*#
Academic and single occupancy cellular office / 9**
Shared cellular office (up to 6 occupants) / 4.5-7.5**
Open plan office (7 occupants and more) / 4.5-7**
Postgraduate research space / 4**
* / Structural constraints will influence space guideline application in the refurbishment of existing buildings
** / No more than
# / The legislative workplace minimum is 3.67m2

Table 6: Annual cost of space per m2 based on 01 August 2012 cost driver budget

Space / Cost per annum*
Space type 1 (20m2 basement store) / £1,000
Space type 2 (a - 9m2 cellular office) or (b - 50m2 teaching space) / £800 (a) £4,400 (b)
Space type 3 (50m2 biological laboratory) / £6,200
Space type 4 (50m2 large computer cluster) / £7,250
* / Costs rounded to the nearest £50

Dean J Apes – Estate Planning Manager – 01 August 2012

1

[1] Refer to appendix table 1

[2] Refer to appendix table 2

[3] Refer to appendix table 3

[4] Refer to appendix table 4

[5] Refer to appendix table 5