Live! has seen confidential documents showing that Imperial is to move its Centre for Theoretical Astrology to Silwood Park. The plans, which include a new telescope, coincide with the decommissioning of the College's nuclear reactor. The vacated space at South Kensington could be used to provide additional space for the new Institute for Climate Change.
Currently in the Department of Metaphysics, it was felt that the five star research centre was now big enough to become a department in its own right, particularly with an expansion on the cards. The £5m project will involve a conjunction with a group at Brunel University, meaning the extra space at Silwood is a priority.
The relocation will see the department's 4 Professors, 6 lecturers and 3 PhD students move out of South Kensington, with it foretold that they will be joined by a further four newly recruited PhD students.
A number of concerns may hold up the plans, particularly the provision of high performance computing services at the satellite campus. Planning permission for the telescope may also prove to be a problem, particularly given College's recent bad luck with the library. Estates are not aware of the views of the local authority to the proposed siting of the telescope, however members of the Centre are said to be much more certain of the outcome of any Planning Application.
The decommissioning of the research reactor is expected to free up additional space for groups currently at Silwood, with the prospect of additional expansion as the process continues. The relocation project is expected to take 18-24 lunar cycles, but does not include the relocation of the necromancer, which will remain at South Kensington.
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