OXFORD Brookes University has announced 37 redundancies, following the completion of a major jobs review.

About 20 of the staff to go are cleaners, with the others made up of caretakers and maintenance staff.

The university said that none of the redundancies are compulsory.

All 37 came forward for voluntary severance and all the applications for redundancy were accepted.

Brookes consulted 270 staff in a major restructuring exercise, which the university said was necessitated by the transformation of its main campus, with a flagship multi-storey library with teaching space and social areas opening in the autumn.

The university said it is now in the process of trying to fill 24 vacancies in various areas.

It is looking for maintenance staff along with a number of managerial posts.

Bob Price, university director of human resources, said: “With our new library building opening in the autumn, we are working towards having a longer teaching day, to make maximum use of our new facilities.

“We propose to use our campus in a more intensive way and we are shifting to new rota systems.“ The university is also halving the number of ‘cleans’ in student halls of residence, from twice to once a week.

Mr Price said this was to limit the rate of increase in hall fees and to meet the wishes of students.