Rothamsted Research

Overview

Laura was appointed to develop a Strategic Asset Management Plan for Rothamsted Research to guide an approach to managing and investing in its four sites in Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Devon and Suffolk – and support requests from its funding body, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.

Laura had worked with the Institute and its landlord, Lawes Agricultural Trust, in 2019 when she developed Estate Plans for each of the four campuses.  She was therefore well placed to understand the complexity and uniqueness of the Institute’s estate, most of which is highly specialist in nature and supporting vital world-class agricultural research.

Laura engaged with the Institute’s Director and CEO and senior leadership team to understand the Institute’s new strategic objectives. Working with technical advisors, RLB, she worked closely with the Estates & Facilities Team to review current operational and strategic practices having regard to Government, RICS, CIPFA and Aude guidance, but ensuring that her approach was bespoke to the Institute.

The SAMP represented an honest overview of the Institute’s current approach to estate management, highlighting positive aspects and some areas of improvement that were sensitively discussed and agreed with the Estates Team.

A costed Plan of Action was developed and incorporated within the SAMP which enabled a case for investment to be made to the Institute’s funding body, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.