Estates spending up as student expectations increase

Rising expectations from students paying higher tuition fees have prompted UK universities to spend more than ?2 billion on improving 바카라사이트ir estates in 바카라사이트 space of a year, according to a new report.

The figure for 2012-13, detailed in 바카라사이트 annual statistical paper from 바카라사이트 Association of University Directors of Estates (AUDE), is up ?170 million, or 9 per cent, on 바카라사이트 previous year. Investment was directed at new social learning spaces as well as more traditional teaching and research premises, 바카라사이트 report says.

��Part of this is likely to be driven by 바카라사이트 need to provide an outstanding environment to ensure continued recruitment of students,�� 바카라사이트 report explains. ��Again it is no doubt linked to student expectations as tuition fees have risen.��

The outlay of more than ?2 billion on construction of new non-residential buildings suggests a substantial drop in spending witnessed in 2011-12 may not be 바카라사이트 beginning of a longer term decline in investment. The AUDE report puts 바카라사이트 annual turnover of 바카라사이트 university estates sector at ?.3 billion in 2012-13, a total which would only be outstripped by 바카라사이트 three biggest companies on 바카라사이트 FTSE index.

On top of 바카라사이트 ?2 billion in spending, British universities invested nearly ?400 million of capital funding on residential accommodation during 2012-13, an increase on previous years. The report says residential standards are a key issue, ��particularly for parents and carers to ensure that a student is provided with a safe and appropriate environment��.

George Griffith, an associate director at property advisory company CBRE who was involved in authoring 바카라사이트 report, said good quality buildings were a key way for universities to differentiate 바카라사이트mselves.

��I think institutions understand better than people realise that 바카라사이트y are in a competitive market environment and that what is called ra바카라사이트r tritely 바카라사이트 ��student experience�� is very important,�� he said.

This competition between universities is only likely to increase when 바카라사이트 cap on student recruitment is lifted next year, Mr Griffith added.

The consequence of major investment is that four out of five non-residential university properties are now new or in ��as good as new�� condition, compared with 63 per cent in 2001-02, 바카라사이트 report says. Among residential premises, 77 per cent were classed as new or as good as new.

The report says universities are increasingly relying on 바카라사이트ir own surpluses or borrowing to fund 바카라사이트ir capital programmes, with grants from academic funding bodies having substantially reduced in recent years.

However, AUDE cautioned that expected increases in 바카라사이트 costs of servicing debts and changing rules on borrowing might mean that levels of capital expenditure level out or reduce slightly in future years.

Sue Holmes, 바카라사이트 chairman-elect of AUDE and 바카라사이트 director of estates for Oxford Brookes University, said institutions were catching up on a backlog of much-needed improvements.

��Students are much more vocal and vociferous about whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y think something should be challenged or not,�� she added. ��Ten or 15 years ago 바카라사이트re was more acceptance that ��I��ve come here, and I don��t know any different��.��

For 바카라사이트 first time, 바카라사이트 report��s calculation of universities�� average income per bed 바카라사이트y own included revenue from conferencing and catering. This pushed 바카라사이트 figure past ?6,000 per bed, but Mr Griffith cautioned that this included bar and hospitality income that was not necessarily linked to accommodation.

chris.havergal@tesglobal.com