Sir Peter Mathieson, the Principal of the University of Edinburgh, has had his 2022/2023 expenses for his mansion on Regent Terrace published under Freedom of Information laws.
Expenses revealed that the university is paying £26,000 more than in the previous academic year.
This includes spending £1,089 on landscaping for Mathieson’s Eucalyptus tree works, a paint job for the cast iron balcony and interior redecorations.
The £1.7 million property was donated to the university in 2015 and the increased expenditure on this property has attracted controversy amongst students and staff at the university.
Criticism of the expenses comes in light of controversy over 2022 figures, when the university was critiqued for spending £301 a year maintaining the principal’s Aga cooker service and £5,799 on gas and electricity.
The recent figures have been published in the midst of ongoing industrial action by the University and Colleges Union (UCU), members have been striking for better pay, pensions and working conditions.
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The Student asked students across campus their thoughts on the increase in expenses.
A first-year medicine student told The Student: “Before joining the university I was completely unaware of any of this and was shocked when I found out.
“It is so difficult for students of all years to find suitable accommodation, private or university owned, and the rent prices have increased so much for this year group, while some of the living conditions are still quite bad.”
Another student added: “Increasingly I don’t think that the university represents and focuses enough on mine and the 40,000 other students’ interests as students.
“Our assessments only receive 5 minutes of marking time and lectures are often cancelled. It is unbelievable that the principal has his property expenses paid while the university does not pay its staff properly.
“I hope this can change so staff are paid adequately so that we can be looked after properly as students”.
Responding to the criticism, A spokesperson for the University of Edinburgh said: “This expenditure on repairs and redecoration is common procedure for higher education institutions.
“The principal’s residence is not used solely as a family home but also frequently as a venue for hosting formal university events, and as such, the institution covers fuel costs and costs for maintaining the building”; therefore, good maintenance of the residence is necessary to “strengthen the university’s reputation, increase partnerships and potential funding streams.”
Image “Eucalyptus” courtesy of Rayna Carruthers.