Planning & Resources Committee

Ex-officio

Chair: Independent Council member Fields Wicker-Miurin

Sir Peter Bazalgette, Chair of Council
President and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Christoph Lindner
Chief Financial Officer, Amanda White
Chief Operating Officer, Heather Akif

Independent Council members

Up to four, appointed by Council 
Suzy Black

John Gibbs
Alan Leibowitz

Co-opted members

The Committee may recommend to the Council the appointment of co-opted members with relevant expertise: 

Howard Jenner has been co-opted on to the Investment Subcommittee, which is a Subcommittee of Planning & Resources Committee.

In attendance

Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Academic

Director of Estates Development, Management & Planning (for Estates items)

Director of People & Culture (for People items)

College Secretary, Zioge Smith

Lucy Quarry, Governance Officer

1. To monitor all matters of long-term, medium-term and short-term planning for all aspects of the College. To ensure the alignment of all aspects of the College's strategy and planning, in relation to academic, financial, physical, digital and human resource planning.
2. To recommend to Council the College’s annual budget, including the distribution of resources between academic and non-academic areas; and between capital, estates and digital infrastructure, recurrent staff and non-staff costs. Review proposals for the College's programme fees which are approved by Council on the recommendation of the Senate.
3. To oversee the development and implementation of systems of institutional performance monitoring, and to monitor progress towards achievement of institutional targets via agreed KPIs. To ensure that risk is appropriately integrated into strategic planning. To ensure effective systems of management and accountability within the College.
4. To keep in review the College’s HR strategy and its alignment with the College’s long-term strategic plan.
5. To keep in review the policies of the College as an employer of staff and to make recommendations to the Council for change in matters of substance or principle.
6. To monitor strategic risks relevant to the work of the Committee as determined by the Strategic Risk Register.
7. To monitor the governance of programme delivery for major digital (Lifetime spend of £500k+) and estates programmes (Lifetime spend of £1m+).
8. To monitor the extent to which value for money is achieved within the areas under the Committee's oversight.
9. To approve contractual commitments, including those relating to partnerships, collaborations or consultancy, where the College is committing financial resources (either in a single transaction or cumulatively under a single agreement):
   1. Digital/other non-Estates activities over £500k (Council approval needed over £2m)
   2. Estates-related activities over £1m (Council approval needed over £3m).

Additionally, to approve the sale, purchase or leasing of land or buildings.

1. To maintain an overview of the College’s commercial activities and the activities of any College-owned companies or legal entities in which it has a significant legal interest and to recommend to the Council for approval, the creation of new College companies.
2. To ensure appropriate strategies and arrangements are in place to manage the College’s money, whether funds are allocated for short, medium or long-term use, including the investment of money designated as endowment funds and other money not required in the short term.
3. To approve any significant changes to banking arrangements on behalf of the Council, including where a bank requires a decision by a formal committee and to recommend any borrowings to the Council.

The Planning & Resources reviews the Financial Regulations Scheme of Delegation, Estates Strategy and 5-Year Financial Plan, and makes recommendations to Council for approval.

The Planning & Resources committee approves the Responsible Investment Policy.

Up to four meetings a year.

The Planning & Resource Committee meets up to four times per year.

Upcoming meetings

• 23 October 2024
• 12 March 2025
• 7 May 2025

Five members, three of whom shall be independent members of Council.