£1m Building Programme For Lincoln College

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30399, 25 March 1964, Page 14

£1m Building Programme For Lincoln College

Major buildings estimated to cost (with their equipment) just over £lm are listed in the requirements for 1964-69 to be submitted by Lincoln College to the University Grants Committee.

By far the largest and most costly building is the teaching and research block, estimated to cost in all £699,000 (including equipment to the value of £107,500). General financial approval for this block is already held by the council, and recently approval was given for quantity surveyors to begin their work—in connexion with the block, which has top priority on the programme. Second in priority is the W. H. Gillespie Memorial Hall, with a building cost of £22,000 and equipment cost of £3OOO. Third is a students’ recreational hall. The amount applied for is £20,000 as a subsidy on buildings and equipment, the remainder of the cost having to be found elsewhere by the students. Fourth priority goes to the second most costly item, two new 60-bed residential halls for students. The buildings are expected to cost £135,000. their equipment £15,000, and a heating boiler £5OOO. The council hopes that the cost of the residential halls will be borne in total by the Government. The latest information received by the council on the subject, however, is that Government consideration of the general principle of the finance of such halls has been postponed in the meantime. Whatever the Government’s decision as regards the general principle, the council hopes that one of the halls will be provided entirely by the Government as a contribution to the housing of overseas students. The council spent some

time yesterday discussing, at the suggestion of the grants committee, the total provision needed for students in the five-year period. The principal (Dr. M. M. Burns) said the increase in student numbers was such that the college was unlikely ever to be able to catch up with residential requirements. It was therefore important for proper facilities to be provided for day students. Several members, although agreeing that accommodation was required for day students, were anxious that the college should remain essentially a residential institution.

Mr A. Henderson thought if the council accepted that the college would never be residential again, it would not be long befpre half the students were “outside.” Mr D. W. Bain suggested Mr J. R. P. Blake-Kelly, Assistant Government Architect, should be invited to look at the whole position and make suggestions. Mr J. F. G. Blakely thought Dr. Burns should be asked to prepare an “order of reference” to assist Mr BlakeKelly. Mr D. S. Max moved that the college’s residential halls committee should be asked to report as soon as possible on the urgency for further resi-

dential accommodation. All three proposals were adopted. The other buildings on the five-year programme are extensions to the agricultural and engineering block (building, £30,000; equipment, £10,000), and an administration block (building, £70,000; equipment, £10,000). The total estimated cost of the programme is £1,019,000.