Infrastructure and capital planning
18.1. The nature of infrastructure planning is that a much longer-term strategy and associated plan are necessary. The University’s Strategic Plan emphasises the main infrastructure themes and high-level aims, and also at a high level the Strategic Plan articulates the approach to financing the Infrastructure Strategy.
18.2. The current Infrastructure Strategy was approved by Council in 2010 and will be kept under regular review to take account of the longer-term financial context for Higher Education.
18.3. The University’s dual assurance model provides for accountability, responsibilities and input for lay-members, management and members of staff/students.
18.4. Within the overall context of the Infrastructure Strategy, a specific five year plan will be developed annually covering the major building and IT developments planned, including refurbishments, their timings, and budgets or estimates for projects not yet approved. The Plan will include the constituent elements that resource the Infrastructure Fund, to include external capital funding from HEFCE and other public sources, external benefactions/donations etc and internal infrastructure charges on Colleges. This Plan will be rolled forwards and refreshed every year on current planning parameters.
18.5. Infrastructure income and expenditure plans will be incorporated in the financial planning and monitoring data provided to Council. These plans will be over the same five-year period as the revenue planning process and their impact on the revenue performance of the University will be incorporated into the income and expenditure account, balance sheet, cash flows, the income distribution model (IDM), Colleges and Services performance and reserves.
18.6. The inclusion of a project or programme within the University’s budget does not itself necessarily lead to it being authorised, rather it ensures that a financial provision has been made to fund it, subject to it being subsequently authorised.
18.7. The detailed processes and procedures for the approval of individual projects within the Infrastructure Strategy are set out in Capital Planning and Project Authorisation.
