Current Students and Staff

// University News

28 Feb 2014

Changes to on-campus catering facilities and social learning spaces

Discussions are underway regarding a number of changes to the catering provision and social learning spaces for students and staff on the University campus.

The intention is to provide a range of attractive social environments where students, staff and visitors can eat, relax and study. The specific objectives are to:

  • Maintain and enhance the high quality, valued hall student experience, by extending this unique community feel across the whole of campus.
  • Provide comprehensive and varied catering options that reflect and support our research, particularly with regard to health, wellbeing and exercise.
  • Create flexible spaces which have multiple functions.
  • Achieve efficiencies in terms of space, staff costs and revenue costs.
  • Address legacy issues relating to 1960s buildings and demolish obsolete buildings.
  • Create additional student space to enhance our provision adjacent to the Student Village.

A Project Management Board has been established to direct the strategy and stakeholder groups will be formed to seek student and staff feedback on proposals as they unfold.

There will be further communications with students and staff as the strategy progresses.

Initial proposals are as follows:

  • The Linford Restaurant in EHB will close at the end of September 2014. The Centre for Faith and Spirituality will move from Brockington Building into the vacated space on the first floor of EHB after the completion of a refurbishment project.
  • The ground floor bar area of EHB will remain open as usual during 2014-15 with the opportunity to trial different catering options. Further consultation with customers will take place over the academic year, with a view to this being a student-facing hub with catering facilities for both students and staff.

Several other proposed changes to the University’s catering and social learning provision are also being considered as part of a series of feasibility studies:

  • An extension to Martin Hall to accommodate a relocated Towers dining hall and enhance provision for staff, through the creation of a catering hub for staff and students. The Martin Hall Taste outlet will remain open during the construction.
  • The establishment of a student common room connected to Towers Hall.
  • The conversion of Elvyn Richards dining hall into two distinct spaces, to provide dining facilities for students from Elvyn Richards and David Collett halls. The Village Bar for staff will remain open.
  • The closure of the existing David Collett dining hall in 2015 and relocation to the space described above.
  • The transformation of the old dining space in David Collett into social learning space for students.
  • The option of additional catering outlets on West Campus.
  • An upgrade to the catering facilities in Faraday and Royce halls.

The proposals reflect changes in both students’ and staff requirements and aim to ensure that Loughborough’s catering provision continues to meet the needs of all users as the University moves forward.