18 December 2020 
Martin Higgs, Communications Officer
Belated but nevertheless heartfelt congratulations are in order to Trevor Payne and his team at the University of Birmingham.
In the sheer busy-ness of the run-up to Christmas we don't think we celebrated Birmingham's win at the THE Awards anything like enough. BIrmingham carried off the prize for Outstanding Estates Strategy.
A landmark campus renovation initiative undertaken by the estates team at the University of Birmingham impressed judges with the “broad range of projects” involved and the way they created major benefits for the local economy and the community. The projects, which the university says constitute the biggest renewal of its estate since the institution’s establishment, included a new conference centre, a sports club, almost 5 hectares of parkland and an extension to the business school.
The THE judges highlighted the team’s approach to collaboration, education and training, including skills workshops for more than 500 local children, 10 apprenticeships, 70 weeks of work experience, 10 new jobs to local people and 205 weeks of on-site training. The team also developed its own procurement framework to create a more efficient and cost-effective route to working with business, and they have made the scheme available to others in the higher education sector. Environmental credentials were also notable. The team achieved a 20 per cent cut in carbon dioxide emissions four years ahead of target and a 10 per cent reduction in water consumption.
Trevor Payne, Director of Estates for the University of Birmingham, said: “On behalf of the University of Birmingham Estates Directorate I am so pleased and proud to have won the Times Higher 2020 Award for Outstanding Estates Strategy. We have a fantastic campus in Edgbaston and campus sites in Selly Oak and we are currently building our newest campus in Dubai. The estates strategy has delivered the largest building programme on campus since 1908 and has informed & enabled the delivery a broad range of innovative and cutting edge new build and refurbishment projects – which benefit our students, staff and the local community."
Congratulations from all of us at AUDE to our friends at Birmingham. You can read more on this story at the University of Birmingham website.
