Follett Report

Annex D Estimates of Space Funding Needs

Estimates of Space Funding Needs

1.

It is estimated that approximately 140 million is at present required to finance the capital developments that would enable the sector to meet the additional space needs created by the growth in undergraduate student numbers between 1988-89 and 1992-93. This figure relates to the UK as a whole. It is based on the best data available to the Review Group at the time of writing, but first, that it does not take account of growth in student numbers in 1993-94; and second, that the data on increases in space in recent years relates to the period of the LISU survey, ie 1986-87 to 1991-92, which is slightly different from the period over which satisfactory data for student growth exist.

2.

The following arguments have been developed using this data:

Between 1988-89 and 1992-93 an additional 294,000 additional undergraduate FTEs have been absorbed in higher education institutions(excluding those formerly funded by the DFE).
The precise needs to which these students give rise will vary, depending on mode, background and subject. But using the accepted UGC norm of 1 reading space per 6 students, an additional 49,000 reading spaces were required over the same period.
Each reader space requires 2.39 square metres, and hence 117,100 square metres are needed. The cost per square metre is 1,200. Thisincludes building costs, professional fees, furniture and VAT but does not take into account the cost of purchasing land or the additional expenses that are inevitably incurred when building on a site less than ideal.
140,520,000 would be required to build additional space required by the increase in student numbers.

3.

The UGC norm used in arriving at this estimate may not always be regarded as appropriate, although it is arguably the best available. This is the biggest single variable. Moreover, the figures above take no account of any growth in numbers which was not accompanied by increases in space before 1988 or after 1992-93, which would considerably inflate the estimates.

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