Cardiff University spends £7.6m on security over three years

Cardiff University has spent £7.6m on security in three years.

This is according to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request by The Cardiff Tab which also revealed that Cardiff University’s spending on security has increased by around £730,000 since the 2021/22 financial year.

The FOI, submitted in early January, requested how much money the university had spent on security in general in 2022, 2023 and 2024 year by year.

The response to this disclosed that from the 1st August 2021 to the end of July in 2022, the university spent approximately £2,200,000 on general security.

In the same period during the 2022/23 academic year, this figure had already increased to around £2,554,000.

By the end of the 2023/24 financial year, this figure had increased again to approximately £2,930,000.

All together the general spending on security at Cardiff University in the last three years totals to around £7,684,000.

The university, alongside over Welsh universities, is currently facing a high deficit of £31.2m from the 2023/24 financial year, which could increase to £65m this year alone.

Cardiff has said that this deficit is a result of a “£16 million pay award. Reduction of £6 million in grants received from Medr. Inflationary increases including energy costs of around £17 million [and] Offset by a £7 million reduction from changes in our USS contributions.”

To try and tackle the deficit the university announced proposals in January, to cuts courses, as well as 400 jobs. A decision that has been met with backlash from students, staff, the UCU and even the Welsh Government.

A Cardiff University spokesperson told The Cardiff Tab: “We make no apology for investing in security to help ensure a safe and secure environment for everyone in our University community. University security provides cover for the whole of the University, including University residences and libraries, offering support 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”