Over the coming months, you may notice changes to how much data can be stored in SharePoint and OneDrive. These changes are deliberate, necessary, and have a much bigger impact than you might expect.
What are the new limits?
To help manage our digital storage more sustainably and responsibly:
- New SharePoint sites will have a maximum size of 100GB
- OneDrive storage for staff will have a maximum size of 100GB (Student OneDrive will remain at 50GB)
These limits apply to new sites and accounts and are designed to encourage better data management across the University.
What if my SharePoint site needs more than 100GB?
We recognise that some projects and teams genuinely require more storage.
If you have a SharePoint site for a project or team that reaches the 100GB limit, you can request an increase by completing the storage request form.
You’ll be asked to provide a clear business case, explaining:
- Why additional storage is required
- Why SharePoint is the appropriate place for this data
- How the data will be actively used and managed
Requests will be reviewed to ensure storage is being used appropriately and effectively.
Why does this matter?
This project has a much bigger impact than many people realise.
Like many large organisations, the University holds a huge amount of “dead data” in the cloud. This includes:
- Files that are no longer needed
- Duplicate copies of documents
- Old project data that hasn’t been accessed in years
While this data may feel invisible, it comes with very real consequences.
Environmental impact
Cloud storage still uses physical infrastructure — servers, cooling systems, and energy. The more data we store, the greater the environmental footprint.
By reducing unnecessary storage, we’re taking practical steps to:
- Lower our energy consumption
- Reduce our environmental impact
- Support the University’s wider sustainability goals
Financial impact
Microsoft charges organisations based on how much storage they use. Our storage consumption continues to grow rapidly, and if this trend continues unchecked, our costs will rise significantly.
At the current rate of growth, by August our annual storage costs are projected to increase to approximately £14,000 per month.
Introducing sensible limits now helps us:
- Control escalating costs
- Avoid paying for storage we don’t actually need
- Protect budgets for teaching, research, and student services
What can you do to help?
Everyone has a part to play. You can help by:
- Regularly reviewing and deleting files you no longer need
- Removing duplicate or outdated content
- Making sure data is stored in the right place (for example, personal files in OneDrive rather than SharePoint)
- Closing or cleaning up old SharePoint sites that are no longer active
Small actions, repeated across the University, make a big difference.
In summary
These changes are about more than limits — they’re about:
- Using our digital resources responsibly
- Reducing environmental impact
- Managing costs effectively
- Encouraging better data habits for everyone
Thank you for helping us keep the University’s digital environment sustainable, efficient, and future‑proof.