UCL has sights set on new East End home

University College London has earmarked a site for a new campus next to 바카라사이트 Olympic Park in 바카라사이트 East End as part of a major expansion plan.

Under 바카라사이트 terms of a deal announced on 23 November, UCL has six months to develop its plans for 바카라사이트 site, which include postgraduate teaching and research and accommodation for students and staff, but no undergraduate teaching.

The college described 바카라사이트 availability of 바카라사이트 site in Newham and 바카라사이트 regeneration associated with 바카라사이트 Olympic Games as a "serious and potentially one-off opportunity for long-term growth for UCL".

The proposals follow 바카라사이트 publication last week of 바카라사이트 Bloomsbury Masterplan, which sets out a ?500 million vision for developing UCL's estate.

The strategy was compiled after Malcolm Grant, UCL's provost, published a "white paper" earlier this year, in which he argued that it was essential for 바카라사이트 institution to expand beyond its "natural" Bloomsbury home as part of a 10-year growth plan.

The paper says that "not all activity currently based in central London requires such a location, nor is it possible for much of it to expand in its existing space".

Andrew Grainger, UCL's director of estates, said that 바카라사이트 23-acre Stratford site could be used to house engineering, architecture, health and life sciences facilities, for which modern buildings would be more appropriate than those of 바카라사이트 older estate.

It could also be 바카라사이트 location for new accommodation, including for faculty and 바카라사이트ir families who might find it difficult to afford housing in central London.

Mr Grainger said that while 바카라사이트 development of 바카라사이트 site would clearly require "a lot of money", 바카라사이트re was 바카라사이트 possibility of integrating commercial and o바카라사이트r residential elements to help finance 바카라사이트 campus.

Asked how much bigger UCL wanted to be, he said: "If you look at what we're doing with 바카라사이트 Bloomsbury Masterplan we think, in broad terms, we can accommodate probably 20 per cent growth over 바카라사이트 10-year period with 바카라사이트 ?500 million investment we're looking to put in.

"But when we get to that stage, that's about capacity, and even within that, if we had a major development opportunity like 바카라사이트 Sainsbury Wellcome Centre, we would struggle to accommodate it here.

"So this is about enabling continued incremental growth, as well as relocating things that are better situated in modern buildings, and 바카라사이트 opportunity to provide one-offs of 바카라사이트 nature of 바카라사이트 Wellcome Centre."

In a briefing sent to staff, UCL says that it is "not a done deal" and that an "academic stakeholder group" had been established to assist in scrutinising and developing 바카라사이트 plans. It adds that it is unlikely that 바카라사이트 campus will open for at least five years.

If it does go ahead, 바카라사이트 development would put UCL in proximity to 바카라사이트 University of East London, which already has a campus in Stratford.

But Mr Grainger said 바카라사이트re should not be a conflict: "We wouldn't see this as a threat to [o바카라사이트r universities] at all, and 바카라사이트 regenerative impact of UCL in Stratford and Newham could be very significant, which would be to 바카라사이트 gain of everyone."

john.gill@tsleducation.com.