Your chance to shape Estates Strategy

UCU will be representing the three recognised campus trades unions on the Estates Strategy Development Steering Group. There is a meeting of this group on the 30th July. In order that members concerns and priorities are recognised and addressed, we need to know what members want from Estates – what they value about our current campuses and buildings, what needs attention and what are the strengths and weaknesses of the existing Estates strategy. We have been asked to tell the meeting what are the aspirations for Estates and what are the key high level projects that we would like Estates to be working on.

With this in mind I have drafted my own list of priorities and I would welcome comments on these and suggestions for other priorities:

1.       The Estates Department needs to be more customer focussed. It needs to be responsive to issues that staff raise and it needs to keep staff updated on progress with those issues. It needs Service Level Agreements in its dealings with individuals and other departments.

2.       There needs to be a clear and transparent policy to achieve a significant drop in the carbon footprint of the university. This involves benchmarking and publishing current figures, and setting out the steps to (ideally) a carbon neutral establishment. Progress towards this aim needs to be monitored and published.

3.       As part of this there needs to be a green transport policy which achieves its ends more by carrots (incentivising positive steps) than sticks.

4.       A building by building / team by team approach to energy and other waste needs to be taken, with clear path for staff to be able to feed suggestions upwards – and then action to be taken to eliminate waste.

5.       Biodiversity should be nurtured and encouraged on our campuses. As part of this there should be no more sacrificing of woods, gardens or open spaces for new build. Consideration should be given to appointing a biodiversity officer or making this part of the duties of a suitable staff member.

6.       Allotments or communal gardens should be piloted for staff and students to work together on.

7.       More benches and picnic tables should be provided on all campuses, to allow staff, students and visitors places to rest, relax, enjoy and appreciate the university’s environment.

8.      Steps towards a pedestrianised campus should continue (as long as disabled access is not compromised).

9.      In light of the rejuvenation of the Llanbadarn campus, what is the long term plan for transporting staff and students across both sites?

That’s a start. I wonder what other members think of these ideas. Have I missed something glaringly obvious? Are there issues that are far more important to you? What about the physical state of the buildings? Is there a need to re-furbish and improve? Is this more important than the issues outlined above?

Please respond to this blog / email by leaving a comment or emailing/phoning the UCU Health Safety and Environment Representative to help us formulate policy in this area. If you don’t express an opinion you can’t really complain if your opinion is ignored. Now we have a chance to influence things. It’s easy to be cynical and say that nothing will change; it won’t if we don’t make our voice heard.

Geoff Constable – ccc@aber.ac.uk<mailto:ccc@aber.ac.uk> - 2475