Definitions of Repairs and Maintenance, Small Improvement
Works, Minor Works and Long Term Maintenance
Please note these arrangements do not apply to Residential and Commercial Services, the
Students’ Union, the Medical Research Council Toxicology Unit, the Chaplaincy, Stanhope Day
Nursery, Sports (including nursery) and College Court).
Reactive Maintenance – Maintenance and Repairs
Definition:
Day to day maintenance is defined as a sensible and practical repair on a like for
like basis for the continuance of preservation, protection, repair to and upkeep,
normally lasting no longer than one person day. Priority will always be given to
statutory and other health and safety requirements and any work relating to
emergencies such as major electrical failures; persons stuck in lifts; floods; gas
escapes, but the majority of requests will be dealt with on a first in, first out
basis. To improve service delivery and reduce disruption, the craftsmen also
identify and undertake other maintenance tasks whilst on site, where it is
practical to do so.
Sources/Types:
The majority of work will be as a result of a fault report being made to the
Estates Helpdesk. (Regular proactive inspections to rectify faults in common
areas and teaching rooms are undertaken to maintain and improve the
environment in these areas of the University.)
Funding Sources:
Central funding is provided for reactive maintenance repairs and maintenance
tasks.
Authorisation provided from within Reactive Maintenance when repairs are on a
like for like basis. Enhancement works, with a value of under £500, will be
authorised by the Reactive Maintenance Foremen, taking into account the
medium/long term plans for the area/building.
Governance/
Approval
Process:
Estates & Facilities Management Division
October 2014
Definitions of Repairs and Maintenance, Small Improvement Works, Minor Works and Long Term Maintenance
Reactive Maintenance – Small Improvement Works
Definition:
Small scale improvement work is defined as work of a non-routine nature that is
considered to not be reactive maintenance, generally costing more than £500
but no more than £4,000. Small scale improvement works will be carried out by
the in-house team or contractors at the discretion of the Reactive Maintenance
Manager, whichever provides best value for money. Multiple Small
Improvement Work requests will be handled by the Estates & Facilities
Management Division (EFMD) as a Minor Works request.
Sources/Types:
Source will usually be as a direct request from a department, but may include
occasional improvement works identified during proactive inspections by EFMD.
Examples of the types of work considered as Small Improvement Works are
redecoration of a room, installation of new equipment or services and low level
change of use of a room e.g. single occupant office to multiple occupancy office.
Funding Sources:
Where the improvement will potentially enhance, for the majority of students,
their experiences of University life, costs up to £4,000 will be met by EFMD.
Small Improvement Work which is localised to a departmental area and not
beneficial to the wider University community generally will not be funded by
Reactive Maintenance e.g. installation of power supply 3 pin or 3 phase.
Governance/
Approval
Process:
Approval may be sought from Heads of Departments for changes or
enhancements. Work will be approved at the discretion of the Reactive
Maintenance Manager (due to the limited funds available). These are reported
quarterly to the Director of Estates and Registrar and Secretary.
Estates & Facilities Management Division
October 2014
Definitions of Repairs and Maintenance, Small Improvement Works, Minor Works and Long Term Maintenance
Minor Works
Definition:
Minor Works deal with the general improvement/enhancement of spaces.
EFMD (Estates & Facilities Management Division) hold a Minor Works Budget;
from this budget Estates will annually allocate each College with a ‘College /
Estates Minor Works Budget’, from which each Colleges’ departmental Minor
Works requests are to be paid.
Requested works are to be prioritised by the College prior to submission to
EFMD.
Prioritisation of works is to be focused on areas which improve space ‘for the
majority rather than the minority’ with a particular focus on the student
experience.
Sources/Types:
Departments/Colleges and Corporate Services requiring
improvements/alterations to improve staff areas and/or enhance student
facilities.
EFMD requests, including;
 Mandatory improvements, replacements and upgrades (incl. Security /
Health & safety).
 Improvement works identified by Estates including Equality improvements
(e.g. ramps, improved disability access).
 Centrally required decants and alterations.
 University requirements for external public realm and grounds.
 Environmental institutional initiatives (e.g. energy saving schemes).
All requests come to Estates via the ‘Estates Request Form’ – works which have
prior approval and an agreed budget on their College’s Prioritisation List are
allocated to an Estates Project Manager to develop a Project Brief with the
requesting department.
Examples of Minor Works to be funded from the allocated ‘College/Estates
Minor Works Budgets’ include:
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Funding Sources:
Communal student focussed areas; receptions, circulation spaces.
Washrooms.
Social learning, study space and meeting spaces.
Office alterations to accommodate increased staff numbers.
Fitting out rooms for changes in room use; including reconfiguring layouts
(moving walls) and installing fixed fittings (e.g. work benches, counters).
Redecoration of departments i.e. outside of the planned programme for redecoration of buildings.
The Minor Works Budget is controlled by Estates.
Each College is allocated an annual budget by Estates; this is their
‘College/Estates Minor Works Budget’, (based in part on size of College).
Corporate Services and EFMD generated requests that are to be funded from
Minor Works are paid from the ‘Estates Funded’ Minor Works budget
allocation.
Estates & Facilities Management Division
October 2014
Definitions of Repairs and Maintenance, Small Improvement Works, Minor Works and Long Term Maintenance
Governance/
Approval
Process:
For Colleges;
Minor Works requests are collated by each College from their
Departments – The Head of Department is to approve each request submitted
for consideration by the College.
Estates assign an ‘order of costs’ (high level cost generated on generic £ per m2.
rate) against each request.
Each College then prioritises their costed list against their allocated
‘College/Estates Minor Works Budget’.
The aim of this process is to ensure a transparent approach to allocating Minor Works
budget by involving each College in prioritising how they would want to spend their
allocated ‘College/Estates Minor Works Budget’ to best meet their needs.
For Corporate Services and EFMD generated requests funded from Minor
Works ‘Estates Funded’ allocation;
The Head of Division is to approve any request submitted by their department
to Estates then Director of Estates to provide approval on these works / spend.
Priority will be given to works which can demonstrate a benefit to the whole
University / enhance student experience.
Estates & Facilities Management Division
October 2014
Definitions of Repairs and Maintenance, Small Improvement Works, Minor Works and Long Term Maintenance
Cyclical and Planned Maintenance
Definition:
Cyclical and planned maintenance can be split into 2 categories:
 Statutory - this will always be carried out to recommended timescales and
standards.
 Preventive – this will be done as necessary, at the discretion of the Head of
Planned Maintenance, to secure reliability, based on condition and to
recommended standards
Sources/Types:
Cyclical and planned maintenance will be carried out at predetermined intervals
with forethought, control and the use of records to an established plan. The
Head of Planned Maintenance is responsible for establishing and maintaining
the individual PPM and Statutory Testing plans. All records of Statutory Testing
are to be kept in a format to satisfy the Health & Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
and all associated subordinate legislation.
Frequencies for Cyclical and Planned Maintenance will be as recommended by
good practice by relevant professional bodies such as RICS; CIOB; CIBSE; BRE
etc. and in particular BS 8210: 1986.
Funding Sources:
All funds for cyclical and planned maintenance are contained with the EFMD
budget.
Governance/
Approval
Process:
The annual plan for cyclical and planned maintenance is approved by the
Director of Estates.
Estates & Facilities Management Division
October 2014
Definitions of Repairs and Maintenance, Small Improvement Works, Minor Works and Long Term Maintenance
Long Term Major Maintenance
Definition:
Long term maintenance is defined as work of a non-routine nature generally
costing £25,000 or more, where building or engineering elements have failed
and are beyond economical repair by routine maintenance or do not comply
with legal requirements. Work will not necessarily be on a like for like basis
where it can be demonstrated that alternative solutions will give lower future
maintenance or utility running costs.
Sources/Types:
Estates staff will identify through surveys, inspections, data and fault analysis the
repairs and maintenance or replacement regime e.g. replacement of heating and
ventilation systems, redecoration, roof replacement.
Priorities will be decided by balancing statutory health & safety responsibilities,
condition and expected life of building and engineering elements whilst at the
same time considering academic needs and the student experience. However
where better value for money can be achieved work activities will be grouped to
reduce costs and minimise disruption. Buildings facing major refurbishment or
disposal will be considered in detail to avoid unnecessary expenditure and work
may be held in abeyance until the future is determined. However it is expected,
subject to funding, that where major refurbishment is carried out long term
maintenance issues would be addressed at the same time.
Funding Sources:
Estates manage the Long Term Maintenance budget.
Governance/
Approval
Process:
A 10-year rolling maintenance programme will be prepared by the Planned
Maintenance Team which will recommend investment levels to maintain the
University estate at condition category B. This programme will identify each
building and will be reviewed annually. Programmes and schedules are
produced and submitted to the Long Term Maintenance PIT for agreement.
Estates & Facilities Management Division
October 2014
Definitions of Repairs and Maintenance, Small Improvement Works, Minor Works and Long Term Maintenance
Annual Painting Programme
Definition:
Internal and external painting of buildings will be carried out on a cyclical basis.
Sources/Types:
A rolling painting programme will be prepared by the Planned Maintenance
Manager (Building).
Funding Sources:
Estates manage the annual painting budget.
Governance/
Approval
Process:
The annual programme will be proposed and discussed with colleges and
departments.
Estates & Facilities Management Division
October 2014
Definitions of Repairs and Maintenance, Small Improvement Works, Minor Works and Long Term Maintenance