He has played a major part in transforming the look of the University of Huddersfield’s Queensgate campus.

Now Colin Blair has been honoured at a national awards ceremony.

Mr Blair, the university’s director of estates and facilities, received the Award for Long Term Contribution at the inaugural Higher Education Estates and Facilities Awards run by the Association of University Directors of Estates (AUDE).

During Mr Blair’s 17 years in his post, continual improvements mean that 93% of the university’s buildings are now in the highest-rated A and B categories for quality compared to just 21% when he first took up the role.

This places Huddersfield in the UK’s top 10 as ranked by the Government’s Higher Education Statistics Agency.

Mr Blair has presided over an ambitious £100m building programme and a new £200m investment phase is underway – a feat achieved without the need to borrow cash, so that the university is debt-free.

He played a key role in the development of campus landmarks such as the Creative Arts Building, Student Central, the Harold Wilson Building and the Learning and Leisure Centre. Mr Blair is also involved in the university’s planned £27.5m education centre.

The award was presented at a ceremony in Stirling, Scotland, the venue for the association’s annual conference.

Mr Blair, who has served on AUDE’s national executive committee, was accompanied to the event by university Vice-Chancellor Prof Bob Cryan.

Colin Blair (right), director of estates and facilities at Huddersfield University, with Vice-Chancellor Prof Bob Cryan during the building of the new sports hall on the Queensgate campus in 2013

“I could not wish for a better estates and facilities director,” said Prof Cryan, who praised Mr Blair’s astuteness in gaining value for money.

As well as transforming the physical estate, Colin has reconfigured the facilities service,” said Prof Cryan. “He has created a sense of pride and a ‘Team Huddersfield’ spirit that pervades all the staff.”

Among the strategies pursued by Mr Blair has been to divest the university of owning student accommodation, so that the money saved could be used to invest in the academic estate. At the same time, private sector ownership and management has seen the number of student beds in Huddersfield soar from 2,000 to 4,500.

Mr Blair was a project engineer in the private sector before joining Kirklees Council in 1983 as a maintenance engineer. After six years, he was appointed senior building services engineer at Huddersfield University before becoming director of estates and facilities. In 2014, Prof Cryan presented Mr Blair with his award for 25 years’ service.

Mr Blair is a chartered engineer and has an MSc (Distinction) in facilities management. He served for nine years on the AUDE’s national executive committee and for four years was the organisation’s treasurer. He also chairs the AUDE north east region.