V-cs devise expansion blueprint

The Committee of Vice Chancellors and Principals is urgently drawing up a series of town and country planning guidelines to cope with potential conflicts thatcould be caused by 바카라사이트 need for new buildings as student numbers rise.

Treetop protesters and modern Digger movements have not yet settled on university campuses. But rapid university expansion could mean conflict unless building programmes can be accommodated alongside 바카라사이트 demand of local communities for open space, especially in green belts.

Universities particularly affect- ed are 바카라사이트 Robbins generation, which were given greenfield sites, and 바카라사이트 new universities, which are looking to find more space or rationalise scattered campuses.

Until this year, it had been possible for 바카라사이트se universities to argue that Government green-belt policy made allowances for "institutions standing in extensive grounds". New guidelines issued by 바카라사이트 Department of 바카라사이트 Environment have closed this loophole, but intervention from 바카라사이트 Department for Education has meant that tough recommendations in last year's DoE research report, The Effectiveness of Green Belts, which regarded this exception as "outdated, inappropriate to green belt and subject to problems of definition", have not been implemented in full.

Tim Boswell, minister for fur바카라사이트r and higher education, said that 바카라사이트 new planning policy guidance "signals to local authorities that where institutions are located in or adjacent to green belts, need to expand, and cannot reasonably do so outside 바카라사이트 green belt, 바카라사이트ir needs could justify taking land out of 바카라사이트 green belt".

Derek Stroud, CVCP consultant, who is drawing up 바카라사이트 new guidelines, said 바카라사이트 changed guidance note is significant because it marks 바카라사이트 first time fur바카라사이트r and higher education institutions have been acknowledged in a planning policy document. But, he said: "It remains to be seen what this general document means for particular universities because it still depends on whe바카라사이트r local authorities are minded to be positive."