UWE has spent £40 million on 70 acres of land next to the Frenchay campus. The land, purchased from HP Labs, will make Frenchay one of the largest new university campuses in the UK. The investment, which may come as a surprise given the world’s recent economic downturn, is part of an ongoing operation to expand Frenchay and create a new improved, sustainable, contemporary, campus. 

Eighteen months ago it looked as if UWE's investment would not be possible, with the land originally valued between £70 and £100 million. With the recent fall in property values UWE has been able to purchase the huge space of land for the lower price of £40 million, a bargain by comparison. The purchase provides UWE with enormous potential opportunities for the future. Although no plans have been confirmed, future students may benefit from features such as new accommodation, advanced teaching, learning and research facilities and a swimming pool on the super campus.
 
University leaders have stressed that current students and staff will have the opportunity to get involved in developing plans for what may become one of the largest, most advanced, green universities in the UK. Dom Passfield, SU president is already involved, taking his seat among the master planning council. The SRC President is delighted about the purchase and told the Western Eye that “this is the most exciting movement to come from the University in my time here. As staff and students, we now have an opportunity to shape this university for years to come”.

The future of Frenchay and the other campuses are all under consideration. When asked to discuss the new site, Deputy Vice-Chancellor John Rushforth, made clear that no plans were set in stone. Talking to the Western Eye he said, “The development of this site would involve continuing consideration of what students, staff, and the local community want and need, whilst bearing in mind financial feasibility. Initially buying the land was not a rushed decision and neither would the planning process.”
He added, “There will be master planning sessions initially, then ideas will be handed over to architects, initial first designs will then be given for exhibition for further comment and debate, before any significant building work begins.”

The Deputy Vice-Chancellor also stressed that the project would also take into consideration UWE’s ambition to become the most sustainable university in the country. The university is currently the third most sustainable in the country and in order to improve on this eco-friendly power options will be considered including energy being provided by wind turbines. Speaking to UWE’s website Steve West, Vice Chancellor said, “This land provides a fantastic opportunity for the University to create one of the most extensive, sustainable and modern Campuses in the UK. It will enable us to provide a real hub for student life, and to meet the needs of students, employers and staff. This purchase is the largest single investment the University has made since the inception of the Frenchay Campus at Coldharbour Lane in 1972 (then Bristol Polytechnic), and it offers an excellent opportunity for us to realise the University's long term strategic future.”

 
Students, staff, and the local community are, however, expressing concerns. Frenchay already has some serious transport and parking problems, angry residents near the existing campus are concerned this investment will lead to further difficulties. Some students are surprised by the suggestion of one day moving St Matts and Glenside students to form a large community at Frenchay.

 Rebecca Russell, an Adult Nursing student at Glenside is concerned that UWE would be losing out by no longer being able to provide students with smaller, friendlier, and less daunting premises. “Glenside campus is very individual, and it is nice to be surrounded by others on similar courses to you, large campuses aren’t suited to people on vocational courses. “It would be a shame for students in the future to lose the experience of attending somewhere with such historical value.” Many other students have expressed concern about St Matts and Glenside merely being maintained and prepared for sale over the next few years, noting that this does affect students studying at the campuses now. Some are interpreting this move to mean that they are to expect no major improvements to their learning spaces over the next few years.

 Upon hearing of the announcement one student commented; “It would have been nice if they had spent some of that money on some of the existing facilities they seem to have forgotten about.” It is clear from most responses that some students from the smaller campuses feel daunted by the suggestion of one large multi purpose campus, and it will, perhaps, take a lot of student input and further information to make students confident that this is the right (in the words of John Rushforth) “10 steps ahead” for UWE to take.

 
Although it isn’t clear what will happen to St Matts and Glenside campus over the next 10 years, Bower Ashton is said to be set for the next 15 to possibly 20 years. John Rushforth explained that, “Bower Ashton is a continuing investment, we recently spent £14 million on improving the campus and phase two is still to come.” St Matts and Glenside however, he commented, would be subject to “domestic repairs with a view to sell.” When informed of students’ concerns about the loss of community in a big campus, Rushforth was keen to explain that he was aware of the need to keep the feel of identity and smaller communities, and that that could be done through the exceptional new communal spaces he would like to create at the new site.

He stated that, “Although it isn’t possible to keep everyone happy I certainly will be trying...the main focus will be on the benefit to student experience.” He also noted that he was “excited but daunted with such a large project,” and hopes he will be able to be able to see the project through till its end, seeing it as “a privilege to invest in how the university will develop for the next 50 years.”

Consultations with staff, students and the public will begin in January 2009 with the master plan expected to be delivered by the end of the year. The Western Eye will keep readers update with the progress of the project as it happens.

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