Students Blight Residents' Lives

Rising student numbers blight residents' lives

University areas are being disrupted by antisocial behaviour, rowdy parties and rubbish, warns report

Jamie Doward, Home Affairs Editor The Observer,
Sunday 13 September 2009

The huge number of students in Britain's university towns has become a "major problem", according to environmental health professionals.

The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health claims that the proliferation of houses with multiple student occupants is affecting the character of some towns and cities.

"It does create a problem for sustainable communities when you've got a lot of students because of the sort of places that close down – things like nurseries, schools and certain types of shops," said the institute's principal policy officer, Andrew Griffiths.

In a submission to the government outlining its concerns, the institute warns: "It is clear that multiple occupation is proliferating in a variety of areas and that this can change the character of an area." Its comments are likely to be seized on by campaign groups that claim "studentification" is blighting some urban areas, with an increase in antisocial behaviour, noise and litter.

The total UK student population rose from 1,720,094 to 2,086,075 between 1996 and 2001, according to a recent government report that found almost half of students (49%) live in the private rented sector.

The report, for the Department of Communities and Local Government, acknowledged: "The concentration of a young transient social grouping, such as students, living in relatively insecure accommodation can lead to increased levels of burglary and crime in an area. Added to this, the behaviour of some students, particularly drunken behaviour, is often considered to be antisocial by families or elderly residents."

Richard Tyler, co-ordinator of the National HMO (Houses of Multiple Occupancy) Lobby, said the problem was "peculiarly" British as most university students studied away from where they grew up, whereas in the US, for example, two-thirds stayed near their home.

With landlords aware that they can charge five students living in a terraced house much more than one family, Tyler said studentification was contributing to the housing shortage.

"In Leeds, we have 25,000 households on the council waiting list and in the Headingley area between 25,000 and 30,000 students living in family houses for eight months a year," Tyler said. "First homes for families have become second homes for students. If you didn't have students, you would solve the housing problems overnight."

The Communities Department has just completed a consultation exercise examining ways of tackling the problem and will give its response later in the year. Ministers are considering several options, including amending planning regulations so that councils can refuse applications to turn properties into multi-occupant housing.

"Students bring benefits to the places they live in, but too many residing in one area can impact negatively on a community, running down neighbourhoods and leaving places as ghost towns in the summer," said a government spokesperson. "This is a real problem in many communities across England, which is why the communities secretary, John Denham, is committed to finding a long-term solution to current rental practices."

But the government's proposals risk alienating both sides. There are claims the measures may not go far enough and that areas in cities such as Leeds, Bristol, Sheffield, Newcastle and Birmingham will become "student ghettos".

The National Union of Students says its members are being unfairly targeted by local communities which ignore the economic benefits they bring.


Gown versus town

George Wigmore lived in the Redland district of Bristol while studying chemistry.

"What people forget is that the majority of student houses are too small for the number of people who live there, as every available space is converted into bedrooms. With six people in a small family house, you're bound to get more wastage than from an average family.

"This isn't our fault; we recycle and put out our rubbish. Councils need to cater for our needs. While we may not pay taxes, people forget how much money we bring to local businesses."

Roger Mortimer is a committee member at Bristol's Redland and Cotham Amenities Society.

"Students come back from clubs at 4am. Most don't intend to be a nuisance, but it does create tremendous tensions.

"They also affect the housing market. Houses that would once have been bought by first-time buyers are now bought by landlords who can always outbid them because the profits they can make from students are so high.The bins are a big issue – students produce an awful lot of rubbish. It brings an imbalance in terms of age. When they refer to a place as a 'student village', that really gets up our nose."