Programme

Chairman: Mark Cleverly, Partner and Head of Higher Education , EC Harris

How not to make expensive mistakes in development

• The common mistakes and the damage they cause
  
• Best ways of avoiding them
  
• What the warning signs are
  
• What to do when the light starts flashing

Speaker: Mark Cleverly, Partner and Head of Higher Education, EC Harris


First things first: benchmarking - analysing what proportion of the university’s costs real estate should consume and some of the challenges of allocating real estate space - what type and location

• The university’s estates in context: size and costs
• Using some analysis and comparisons with hospitals and the private sector
• Measuring university real estate costs and capital reduction strategies: what’s included and can you compare apples with apples?
• What does this mean for the future in terms of space allocation?  Is it simply a question of increasing utilisation or diversifying further?
• Some of the factors for drivers for change
  

Speaker: George Griffith , Associate Director, Government and Infrastructure Team , CB Richard Ellis



University space requirements and knowing whether to buy or rent:  decision making and planning for 15 years time

• Changing study patterns and HE access – a policy response
• The changing role of University estates – size, fitness for purpose, attractiveness and utilisation
• Options for tenure of space for a flexible future – opportunities, barriers and risks
• Proactive relationships with the private sector – commerciality and spin offs
  

Speakers: John Keyes, Director, Corporate Real Estate Consultancy, DTZ & Sarah Jones, Associate Director, International Education , DTZ



Planned maintenance programmes in the new environment

• Best practice guidance on using structured maintenance plans for the running and upkeep of the modern university
• Outsourcing estates team functions and shared services considerations that   support cost effective maintenance strategies
• Optimising maintenance expenditure
• Sustainable maintenance

Speaker: Neil Gilbert, Partner & Chairman of the Dilapidations Working Group, Tuffin Ferraby Taylor LLP


What can be done to control and reduce real estate operational costs?

• Benchmarking costs across the estate 
• Reducing carbon and utility costs
  
• Reviewing the balance of in-house and outsourced services
• Increased value from procurement, including appropriate shared services
• Challenging duplicated facilities and services
• Increasing income/reducing cost through focused investment

Speaker: Ian Caldwell , Director of Estates and Facilities , King’s College London



University and private sector estates collaboration in the provision of student accommodation

• Procurement of new student accommodation
• Challenges and opportunities for on campus accommodation projects
• Broadening private sector participation into development of wider HE estates
• A snap shot of private sector participation following introduction of the new tuition fees system

Speaker: Conal Newland , Partner , Higher Education Team, Jones Lang LaSalle



Realistic possibilities of income generation from real estate use

• Retail strategy to support your estate’s strategy
• Coordinating implementation – new leases and renewals
• Balancing the right tactics and using some useful negotiation tips

Speakers: Clive Read, Partner and Head of Real Estate, Martineau Solicitors & John Plumridge, Director of Estates, Lincoln University


Funding capital projects now – what is possible: cost, terms and availability of funding

• Challenges of raising finance – what specialist finance packages are available to university real estate teams
• Using tools to help grow the aspirations of universities by structuring off-balance sheet funding
• Using short and longer term funding solutions for real estate investment strategies - with some case studies as examples
• Making use of effective financial and business reviews

Speaker:  Stephen Brooks, Managing Director, Public Finance and Infrastructure, Santander Corporate Banking

 

CASE STUDY: The University of Bradford’s sustainability agenda to enhance the strategic real estate long term plan

• Project history – the university’s strategic plan, Ecoversity (the award winning sustainable campus) and campus life
• Process – options appraisal of alternatives, and rationale for this partnership
• Partnership – the unique nature of the partnership and partners involved
• Key elements, structure, contract, the approach to facility management and the importance of the student experience in all elements
• Practical delivery of the partnership approach pre and post completion
• Design development – background, process of design development and designs of the UK’s first BREEAM ‘outstanding’ HMO and student residence

Speakers: Chris Spargo, Head of Commercial Services, University of Bradford and Vincent King, Partner, Cobbetts


Raising capital from disposals and alternative use development – partnering with whom and to do what?

• Roles played by developers in redeveloping the university estate
• Securing the right town planning context for developer involvement
• The right timing for engaging with developers
• Structuring the deal to safeguard the university
• Ensuring best value is met

Speaker: Martyn Jones, Assistant Director, Development, Drivers Jonas Deloitte


Putting it all together in a ‘New Funding Environment University Real Estate Master Plan’

• Drivers of tomorrow’s master plans:
• Changing academic requirements, the need to help increase interface between disciplines, the necessity of generating more income from real estate together with delivering space for private sector businesses that may collaborate with university faculty
• Delivering environments that work from both academic and business perspectives:
• What academics tell us they want, what we know businesses seek and how the two can be delivered satisfactorily
• The need for all buildings to be more flexible in delivering to both groups
• Gaining and securing Local Authority support and approvals:
• Understanding what Local Authorities need in their districts today, how universities are playing a key role in relation to this, how a university might go about building support for its diversifying business
• How a university can secure commitment to its evolving and necessarily flexible master plan
  

Speaker: Jonathan Burroughs, Chief Executive Officer, Creative Places



Reviewing the options available to a university working with the private sector

• The market view from a valuer’s perspective
• Obligation costs - what you put in vs. what you get out
• What is on and off the balance sheet
• Analysing the ROI - how attractive should this be?
• Getting the risk and reward balance spot on
• Key examples of transactions and market evidence
• The real estate market has changed significantly in the past three years - what will the university real estate market look like three years from now?

Speaker: Neil Armstrong, Partner, Student Property Valuation , Knight Frank