HR, Finance and E&B to relocate to Tay House
Published: 20 May 2014
Just over 200 University Services staff are to be relocated to Tay House at Charing Cross as work starts to increase space for learning and teaching. Those involved have been briefed: they belong to HR, Finance, Estates & Buildings, the Research Support Office and Planning and Business Intelligence.
Just over 200 University Services staff are to be relocated to Tay House at Charing Cross as work starts to increase space for learning and teaching. Those involved have been briefed: they belong to HR, Finance, Estates & Buildings, the Research Support Office and Planning and Business Intelligence.
The final go-ahead for the major project was given at a meeting of the Estates Committee on Monday 19 May. Now detailed planning and preparation for the move will take place over the summer with those involved starting to move to the city centre at the end of November with the process expected to be completed by the end of March 2015.
In a letter to all those members of staff likely to be involved in the move, the Principal, Professor Anton Muscatelli, said: "We have been very lucky in the way that we have managed to keep most of the University team on campus. And that is the way we want to keep things in the longer term as we start to develop both the Gilmorehill site and the Western Infirmary, when we gain access to it in mid-2015. We want to be a campus university.
"In the short term, however, as it will take some time for us to access the additional Western infirmary land, we need to address our accommodation pressures and the Senior Management Group has agreed to look at the options for relocating limited numbers of University Services staff. We will only do this as long as it can be achieved in a way that maintains our high levels of professional service and does not place our staff in inferior accommodation."
"I see the move to Tay House that some colleagues are being asked to make as a really important development." David Newall, Secretary of Court
Staff being asked to make the move were invited to briefings with their managers the day after approval was given and were also issued with information packs and a link to online staff resources: www.gla.ac.uk/staff/relocation/ The sessions included Q and As with many of the issues being raised relating to parking and transport, catering and the likely duration for the move away from Gilmorehill. Director of Estates and Buidlings, Ann Allen, said the leasing agreement with the owners of Tay House covered a ten year period, but with an optional break after five years.
The relocation project has been in the planning stage for some time, led by a small steering group. The search for a suitable property within easy reach of Gilmorehill has been led by Estates and Buildings and final negotiations to secure Tay House were conducted in recent weeks.
David Newall, Secretary of Court, said: "I see the move to Tay House that some colleagues are being asked to make as a really important development. It is a chance to improve our working environment, to seize the opportunities offered by some new technologies and it will inform the design of the buildings we will eventually occupy at Gilmorehill. It will also offer much needed learning and teaching space on campus." 
As part of the relocation process, staff in the University Services involved will be asked to take part in a workplace survey being conducted by Leesman, a specialist company that has wide experience in the higher education sector. This will be a continuing process that will help measure which work activities are important to individual members of staff...and how well those activities are supported by the workplace.
If you want to discover more about the University Services relocation project, you can find materials here: www.gla.ac.uk/staff/relocation/
First published: 20 May 2014
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