Skip to main contentCambridge University Reporter

No 6386

Wednesday 13 May 2015

Vol cxlv No 30

pp. 531–537

Reports

Second-stage Report of the Council on the replacement and rationalization of facilities covered by the University’s Home Office Establishment Licence

The COUNCIL begs leave to report to the University as follows:

1. A First-stage Report on the commencement of a planned strategy to replace and rationalize facilities covered by the University’s Home Office Establishment Licence was submitted to the Regent House on 24 April 2014 (Reporter, 6344, 2013–14, p. 469) and approved by Grace 2 of 4 June 2014. This Second-stage Report is to update the Regent House on further development of the scheme and to seek approval for the construction of the third of the three planned facilities (approval of the construction of the first two facilities was confirmed by Grace 7 of 22 October 2014).

2. There is a strong scientific, financial, and ethical case for rationalizing the existing facilities into a smaller number of units. As stated in the First-stage Report, the new facilities will enhance provision of state-of-the-art levels of animal welfare allowing more opportunities for refinement, reduction, and replacement (known as the 3Rs). The work that will be undertaken in the facilities underpins much of the research activity of the Schools of the Biological Sciences and Clinical Medicine, and contributes to more than half of the University’s strategic research initiatives.

3. Plans for the third of the planned facilities, located on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, have now been developed to RIBA Stage 3 with extensive consultation from University stakeholders and advisers to ensure the building meets project objectives.

4. The Council now proposes that construction of the third facility should proceed. The cost of the facility is estimated at £104.6m. These costs are based on the assumption that construction will commence in late 2015 and all works will be completed by early 2018. The costs are consistent with the intention to expend no more than £150 million on the programme as a whole.

5. The facility has been designed to achieve a BREEAM Excellent rating including an energy-efficient mechanical and electrical system incorporating a combined heat and power plant. This design, together with the operational efficiencies which can be achieved in modern facilities, means that the comparable recurrent costs of these facilities will be lower than those of the facilities which they are replacing. Recurrent costs will be met in full by the bodies which fund the research in the facility.

6. A concept paper for the facility was approved by the Planning and Resources Committee on 16 October 2013. The full case for the facility was approved by the Planning and Resources Committee at its meeting on 25 March 2015.

7. The planning application will be submitted in June 2015.

8. Drawings of the proposed scheme are displayed for the information of the University in the Schools Arcade.

9. The Council recommends:

I. That approval is confirmed for the construction of the facility proposed in this Report.

II. That the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Planning and Resources) be authorized to accept a tender for the works, within the available funding, in due course.

12 May 2015

L. K. Borysiewicz, Vice-Chancellor

Alice Hutchings*

Shirley Pearce

Ross Anderson

Richard Jones

John Shakeshaft

Richard Anthony

Fiona Karet

Susan Smith

Jeremy Caddick

Stuart Laing

Evianne Van Gijn

R. Charles

Mark Lewisohn

Sara Weller

Anne Davis

Rebecca Lingwood

I. H. White

David Good

Rachael Padman

A. D. Yates

Helen Hoogewerf-McComb