Cambridge University is to review its building and maintenance programme after it predicted revenue deficits over the next three years.
The university is the largest higher education construction client in the UK, with £550m of buildings being designed or constructed. Some £320m of capital funding is currently assured, but the remainder is under threat.

The university estimates it will suffer revenue shortfalls of £11.6m this academic year, rising to £20.5m in 2005/6.

Senior staff who leave the university's 250-strong estate management and building service department will not be replaced. A university council report in June suggested that these staffing cuts would not affect projects for which funding had been secured. But it added: "The planning and resources committee will be reviewing those for which funding has to be raised, and may have to stop the design process for those where funding is proceeding slowly."

The university's maintenance budget is also expected to be cut. Michael Benias, deputy director of estates, said: "We bid for a budget of £15.85m, and we expect it to come in at £12.2m. This is in addition to a £1.8m cut in the maintenance budget last year.

"As a result, we will make sure that health and safety is the priority in maintenance, and cut back on stone-cleaning and cosmetics. We will also be leaving the central heating and boilers working a couple of years longer before we overhaul or change them."