Edinburgh University denies buying former Scottish Widows building amid funding crisis

The University of Edinburgh denied claims that it purchased the former Scottish Widows building on Dalkeith Road near Pollock Halls.

In late March, an internal communication from the university to staff, shared with The Ferret, stated that the purchase of the building was part of the university’s “capital plan” to continue its commitment to “world-class facilities” for students and staff.

In this “accidental” memo, the university told its staff that it had purchased the building. This comes after the university announced a ‘funding crisis’ and cuts of £140 million.

A university spokesperson told The Ferret, “At this stage, all we can say is that any information suggesting the university has bought the building is incorrect.”

Staff reacted angrily and expressed disappointment at the confusion surrounding the building purchase. The University and Colleges Union (UCU) said it lost any remaining trust in its management.

The UCU have called for urgent answers over the confusion and clarity about whether the building was, or still is, under consideration for purchase. It appears that there were longstanding rumours among staff about this prior.

Outraged at the confusion surrounding the possible acquisition of the purpose-built Scottish Widows building, which has been vacant since Autumn 2020, the UCU argued that the rumours fuelled the “lack of transparency and accountability” regarding the university’s capital expenditure.

They have argued that the university’s management has not been transparent in sharing modelling details to forecast future deficits and that the target of £140 million in cuts has been set “arbitrarily.” The UCU also claims senior staff are incentivised to view new buildings as “assets” and staff as “costs.”

The Edinburgh council approved plans for a £100 million renovation to turn the building into flats in 2023, but this has not since taken place. The building has since remained up for sale.

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Sophia Woodman, president of the Edinburgh branch of the UCU, told The Ferret that the confusion surrounding the purchase “makes it extremely difficult” to “trust anything” university management says regarding finances.

The university has blamed a fall in international student numbers for the current financial crisis as the UK becomes ‘less attractive’ for foreign students.

However, the UCU has said the university has manufactured this crisis to justify cuts and claims the most significant financial threat is “unrestrained” spending on things like buildings.

The Scottish Labour Party education spokesperson, Pam Duncan Glancy, responded to the situation and stated, “At a time when university finances are so overstretched, it is more important than ever that all financial decisions are sound and high standards of transparency are being upheld.”

It is still unclear whether the university purchased the building; however, a spokesperson who spoke to The Ferret denied the purchase and failed to explain how the miscommunication occurred.