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We wrote to you on 26th June 2017, providing our initial response to the tragic events witnessed at Grenfell Tower.
As anticipated in the above communication, members in one way or another have had to respond to questions raised by the respective funding councils in terms of confirming details and the specification of student housing within their estates and also provided by third parties.
There is clearly a degree of uncertainty across the sector in terms of the nature of testing on cladding systems undertaken so far. The long-term impact this will have on the estate, both in terms of future planning and the remedial measures remains to be seen.
We know that the responsibilities of our members are wide-ranging and not all of us are responsible for the management of student accommodation so the executive will be considering our response to the findings of the government report and enquiry. That said, most of our members are the group of professionals, which in the vast majority of cases are accountable and therefore need to take the lead on setting out the standards for the accommodation concerned.
It will be important to ensure that the Association liaises with CUBO and other third parties to ensure that the sector has a single voice in terms of fire safety, strategy, and infrastructure for the sector.
Many universities will be dealing with issues following on from the audit of buildings that have been undertaken. The executive will be analysing the results of those returns to HEFCE as well as early findings from the government review as these are published.
Members who wish to raise any information to the AUDE exec should contact Jane White or Cheryl Pick with comments.
We expect to issue further information regarding our informed and collective responsive in the Autumn.
With my best wishes
Mike Clark
Chair, The Association of University Directors of Estates
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