'Gulf' between student numbers and amount of accommodation (From York Press)
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University of York's 'gulf' between student numbers and amount of accommodation
10:41am Tuesday 17th August 2010 in News
NEW figures have revealed the growing gulf between the number of University of York students and the amount of accommodation provided on campus.
The figures, obtained from the university by Osbaldwick Parish Council under the Freedom of Information Act, show in 1999/2000 there were 8,525 students and 3,100 bed spaces on campus.
But by 2009/10, the number of students had grown to 13,908, while the number of bed spaces had grown only to 4,679.
The university also said student numbers were set to rise by another 5,400 through the current Heslington East expansion, but with 3,300 extra bed spaces to be created.
The figures emerged after City of York Council took further steps to reduce the growing number of houses in multiple occupation (HMOs), many of which are student lets.
Three separate HMO applications, for Millfield Lane, Thief Lane and Low Mill Close, have all been refused permission by the east area planning committee following residents’ objections – despite officers recommending approval for two of the schemes.
Osbaldwick parish chairman Mark Warters said today the new powers to control HMOs were welcome, and the university figures proved what people in east York has long suspected – that student numbers had been growing far faster than the increase in campus accommodation.
He claimed the rise in student lets was increasing pressure for housing growth on green belt sites, such as land at Osbaldwick where the 540-home Derwenthorpe scheme was planned.
A university spokesman said the figures related to the total numbers of students, a proportion of whom were distance learners or local residents doing part-time or evening courses and therefore living at home.
“In any event, we cannot compel students to live on campus,” he said.
“Nevertheless, over the last five years the number of bed spaces that we are providing has increased by more than 37 per cent. In the last three years alone we have provided nearly 1,000 additional bed spaces. We have also spent £5 million refurbishing our existing student accommodation.”
He said a new college planned for Heslington East would have more than 600 beds and feature a range of social and welfare facilities.
Comments(32)
Ben Guela
says...
11:23am Tue 17 Aug 10
Pedro
says...
11:28am Tue 17 Aug 10
When the Law College opened nearby I wondered whether the area would suffer. But it hasn't. So special praise to the students who attend.
Guy Fawkes
says...
11:48am Tue 17 Aug 10
I'm not convinced that increasing the proportion of students in halls is the answer, either from a social or an economic perspective. Part of the reason for going to university is for these kids to learn to live in the real world, and so the time honoured ritual of spending year 1 in halls and years 2 and 3 in private rented seems to me to be a sound one. Furthermore, students in halls tend to spend less money in the local economy (i.e. they'll spend more in on-campus shops and amenities). And when, as simple demographics dictate, student populations decline, there will be lots of HMOs lying empty and run-down.
This is basically a short-term problem, albeit a serious one for the York suburbs situated around the campus.
Phantom1974
says...
12:54pm Tue 17 Aug 10
MLewisW
says...
1:13pm Tue 17 Aug 10
The students, particularly when the tourists have left in the winter months, are the people who support York's economy. Having more of them, with high disposable incomes, is of real benefit to the city.
From my experience, the university is lacking in accommodation, especially for 'home' postgraduate students (unless you are international, you cannot get university accommodation as a postgraduate). But this is well catered for by private sector renting.
Most students cause little noise and are gone after a year if they do. Some families can move into properties for life, be rowdy, and face no objection from the likes of Phantom1974, purely because they are hallowed LOCALS -and presumably more normal?! Students not having enough houses to move into is neither helped by local objections to planning applications for student dwellings, thus creating further tension.
Please, at the least, reconsider how many people in York were born in York. Few, I suspect.
Guy Fawkes
says...
1:17pm Tue 17 Aug 10
The University of York employs 3,091 FTEs (according to its last annual report), and at least as many jobs again probably depend on it. If, as you are demanding, it is 'cut in size significantly', I take it you'd have no problem with several thousands jobs in the city being cut along with it?
Phantom1974
says...
1:24pm Tue 17 Aug 10
MLewisW
says...
1:37pm Tue 17 Aug 10
Phantom1974
says...
1:41pm Tue 17 Aug 10
MLewisW
says...
1:46pm Tue 17 Aug 10
So having a 9-5 research and lecturing job where you pay the same taxes as everyone in your so-called 'real world' and have to take a lot of work home isn't the 'real world'? Please, define 'real world'.
Phantom1974
says...
1:50pm Tue 17 Aug 10
AdmiralNN
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2:01pm Tue 17 Aug 10
despite having extensive qualifications
'
I sincerely doubt it.
Phantom1974
says...
2:04pm Tue 17 Aug 10
AdmiralNN wrote:Why? Have I made a mess of the punctuation in a quotation when I was trying to make myself sound clever? Oh no, that was you!
despite having extensive qualifications' I sincerely doubt it.
AdmiralNN
says...
2:27pm Tue 17 Aug 10
Phantom1974 wrote:No. But with such a level of narrow mindedness and short sightedness then i doubt that you are as 'extensively' educated as you claim.
AdmiralNN wrote:Why? Have I made a mess of the punctuation in a quotation when I was trying to make myself sound clever? Oh no, that was you!despite having extensive qualifications' I sincerely doubt it.
'
And who boasts about extensive qualifications on a local paper forum - the man who has none i suspect.
Phantom1974
says...
2:33pm Tue 17 Aug 10
AdmiralNN wrote:Who is boasting? I was simply giving a straight answer to a question. You can call my opinions, which are held by many people in York, "narrow-minded", "short-sighted" or whatever you want but I am not the one inviting young people here promising them a bright future knowing that they don't even have anywhere to live. That is "short-sighted" and bordering on the immoral.
Phantom1974 wrote:No. But with such a level of narrow mindedness and short sightedness then i doubt that you are as 'extensively' educated as you claim. ' And who boasts about extensive qualifications on a local paper forum - the man who has none i suspect.AdmiralNN wrote:Why? Have I made a mess of the punctuation in a quotation when I was trying to make myself sound clever? Oh no, that was you!despite having extensive qualifications' I sincerely doubt it.
AdmiralNN
says...
2:42pm Tue 17 Aug 10
'
Also just for clarification whats your definition of local people?
Phantom1974
says...
2:47pm Tue 17 Aug 10
AdmiralNN wrote:There is a big difference between getting rid of things that you describe as from "out of York", which would be nonsensical, and making those things dominate above the needs, health and interests of the people of York even to their detriment, as in the case of York University.
Ultimately if you took everything out of york that wasnt manufactured, produced or born here do you think it will be a happy place? ' Also just for clarification whats your definition of local people?
AdmiralNN
says...
2:50pm Tue 17 Aug 10
Phantom1974 wrote:who are the people of York? whats your definition?
AdmiralNN wrote: Ultimately if you took everything out of york that wasnt manufactured, produced or born here do you think it will be a happy place? ' Also just for clarification whats your definition of local people?There is a big difference between getting rid of things that you describe as from "out of York", which would be nonsensical, and making those things dominate above the needs, health and interests of the people of York even to their detriment, as in the case of York University.
Guy Fawkes
says...
2:50pm Tue 17 Aug 10
However, as MLewisW points out, the idea that some sort of privileged status should be accorded to people who are born in one town or city and never leave, and that any 'outsider' who dares to move in should be led up a hill and introduced to the wicker man, is one best left in the 1970s. Like it or not, intra-UK migration is here to stay: and even if a lot of the senior academics and managers at the UoY have arrived here by this route, they pay their council tax here, they spend money in the local economy and most of them try to integrate socially. If Phantom were offered his dream job in Sussex or Cornwall, would he/she tell them where to stick it?
Get-a-grip
says...
4:15pm Tue 17 Aug 10
The rapid expansion in UG numbers in institutions across the country has created this problem in lots of cities. It was precipitated by Tony Blair's arbitrary decision that 50% of school leavers should go to university, which also invoked the law of unintended consequences in lots of other ways.
I'm sure this is correct
intelligentviews
says...
4:29pm Tue 17 Aug 10
the butler
says...
4:44pm Tue 17 Aug 10
factories, leases or builds accommodation to suit, don't moan about the lack of the same.
meme
says...
5:09pm Tue 17 Aug 10
Both are vital to the financial economics of york in lots of ways both big and samll. There are some issues like any big University town but not many given the numbers and size of this institution.
In general i welcome every student local,national and international. I certainly welcome the University and the huge beneficial impact it has on the city and its wealth as well as its image
If it were not for them we would be a poorer place both financially and intellectually and its ttime we woke up and realised how important it is to our great city
There are always moaners........Somet
imes I am one of them but dont let that blinker our vison of the greater good
Jassy
says...
8:10pm Tue 17 Aug 10
Hackney Lee
says...
9:13pm Tue 17 Aug 10
Guy Fawkes wrote:I know it makes no difference to this problem but is York a redbrick university? Not sure it is
For a redbrick like York, a third living in halls, a third in private HMOs nearby and a third doing something else (distance learning / at home with parents / mature students etc.) is pretty typical. From the figures in the story, it looks like the halls have been scaled up to meet the expansion, but that little or no thought was given to the extra students who'd be living off campus.
I'm not convinced that increasing the proportion of students in halls is the answer, either from a social or an economic perspective. Part of the reason for going to university is for these kids to learn to live in the real world, and so the time honoured ritual of spending year 1 in halls and years 2 and 3 in private rented seems to me to be a sound one. Furthermore, students in halls tend to spend less money in the local economy (i.e. they'll spend more in on-campus shops and amenities). And when, as simple demographics dictate, student populations decline, there will be lots of HMOs lying empty and run-down.
This is basically a short-term problem, albeit a serious one for the York suburbs situated around the campus.
Get-a-grip
says...
9:58pm Tue 17 Aug 10
York Fox
says...
9:15am Wed 18 Aug 10
Get-a-grip wrote:Correcto.
Not a Redbrick, it's a Plateglass university.
areyouhavingalaugh?
says...
1:06pm Wed 18 Aug 10
meme
says...
2:33pm Wed 18 Aug 10
HEAR, HEAR THIS WAS DESCRIMINATION AT ITS WORST
E=MC^2
says...
8:33pm Wed 18 Aug 10
Hackney Lee wrote:Founded in early 60's York isn't a red brick. The term refers to one founded in the 19c or 1st half 20c. Bit surprised at GF not getting this right what with him having had a university education and working in 1.
Guy Fawkes wrote: For a redbrick like York, a third living in halls, a third in private HMOs nearby and a third doing something else (distance learning / at home with parents / mature students etc.) is pretty typical. From the figures in the story, it looks like the halls have been scaled up to meet the expansion, but that little or no thought was given to the extra students who'd be living off campus. I'm not convinced that increasing the proportion of students in halls is the answer, either from a social or an economic perspective. Part of the reason for going to university is for these kids to learn to live in the real world, and so the time honoured ritual of spending year 1 in halls and years 2 and 3 in private rented seems to me to be a sound one. Furthermore, students in halls tend to spend less money in the local economy (i.e. they'll spend more in on-campus shops and amenities). And when, as simple demographics dictate, student populations decline, there will be lots of HMOs lying empty and run-down. This is basically a short-term problem, albeit a serious one for the York suburbs situated around the campus.I know it makes no difference to this problem but is York a redbrick university? Not sure it is
BioLogic
says...
1:17pm Fri 20 Aug 10
Phantom1974 wrote:You xenophobic idiot. We do not live in some sort of socialist idil.
No, I'd have no problem with that because how many of those jobs do York people do? The University wants York people as cleaners and porters, hardly good jobs are they? All the decent posts are held by people who have come in from outside.
The university can recruit staff from wherever they want in our society, if you want a Job at the Uni that doesn't involve cleaning or portering, go and get an education that allows you to do it. Which will, incidentally require you to go to University.
If you live in York, you have as much right to access everything this city has to offer as the next person. Whether you were born here or not is immaterial to the whole issue. Please take your racist opinions and disappear, or at very least keep them to yourself.
josephheller says...
10:47am Tue 17 Aug 10
There's only two things the Osbaldwick residents want:
-some by-law compelling students to live on campus (and a unrealistically large investment in new halls)
-a freeze on student numbers
Who's this going to help? Lighten up guys.
All this HMO blocks are just petty-mindedness. Students don't want to take over the place, just have a place to live like everyone else.