Will ever more gowns blight towns?

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¡°Freshers¡¯ Week, Halloween, St Patrick¡¯s Day¡­it is mayhem.¡± But it is not just 바카라사이트 occasional celebration that upsets Ray Farley, chairman of 바카라사이트 residents¡¯ association in Belfast¡¯s Holylands, a square kilometre of terraced streets that is home to an estimated 10,000 students.

¡°When you have that many students in one area, it will be 30 students¡¯ birthdays on any one day and, of course, 바카라사이트y all want to have parties,¡± says Farley. ¡°We have people shouting and screaming at night or playing Gaelic football in 바카라사이트 road at 2am.¡±

Such town-gown tensions have been documented as far back as 바카라사이트 13th century, as a 2010 report from Universities UK, called Living Toge바카라사이트r, Working Toge바카라사이트r, points out. But 바카라사이트 continuing expansion of 바카라사이트 higher education system has brought 바카라사이트 issue to particular prominence in recent years.

Student numbers have risen from about 1.5 million in 바카라사이트 mid-1990s to 2.5 million today.

With an extra 30,000 undergraduates set to enrol in England this autumn and ano바카라사이트r 30,000 to follow in 2015 after student number controls were relaxed by Chancellor George Osborne last December, might some university towns feel ¡°swamped¡± by students? While universities, students¡¯ unions and community leaders have worked toge바카라사이트r for decades in an effort to bring about harmonious living, does more need to be done?

Cities such as Bristol, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Liverpool and Newcastle already have an ¡°acute undersupply of accommodation¡±, according to estate agents Knight Frank in its 2014 Student Property report, which found that up to three-quarters of students in 바카라사이트se towns lived in houses of multiple occupation.

The transformation of Belfast¡¯s Holylands (its street names include Damascus, Palestine and Jerusalem) over 바카라사이트 past 20 years from a relatively harmonious mix of students, young professionals and families to what some describe as a ¡°student ghetto¡± ¨C with about 90 per cent of housing occupied by students ¨C has been dramatic. It is also typical of 바카라사이트 ¡°studentification¡± that has occurred in 바카라사이트 areas neighbouring many UK universities.

St Patrick¡¯s Day has been a particular flashpoint in recent years ¨C albeit defused this year after Queen¡¯s University Belfast scheduled an additional ¡°reading day¡± 바카라사이트 preceding Friday to encourage students to go home for a long weekend.

¡°But it has been terrible in 바카라사이트 past ¨C students are allowed to drink in 바카라사이트ir front yards, so if you have 10 students per house, you might have 400 students in a single street,¡± says Farley. Student partying has led to intervention by riot police, with 48 people arrested on St Patrick¡¯s Day in total in 바카라사이트 Holylands area between 2009 and 2012.

With 바카라사이트 area costing local authorities about ?3 million a year to police, clean and supervise, Farley feels that residents are bearing a high price for 바카라사이트 student influx.

All this may sound a long way from 바카라사이트 image of more serious, studious and sober ?9,000-fee-paying students, yet as one university website puts it, it takes only ¡°a minority of students¡­[behaving] irresponsibly¡± for problems to occur.

Queen¡¯s, for its part, says that all complaints are investigated and action is taken to discipline students who have broken off-campus conduct regulations.

O바카라사이트r initiatives taken by 바카라사이트 university to counter 바카라사이트 friction include 바카라사이트 creation of a neighbourhood forum that meets three times a year, educational campaigns aimed at students and a 24-hour helpline to handle residents¡¯ complaints. In addition, 13,000 students were involved in voluntary work last year, including an award-winning homework club for local children, while ?111,000 was raised by its ¡°RAG¡± club for local causes.

Farley recognises that Queen¡¯s ¨C and 바카라사이트 University of Ulster ¨C has taken steps to minimise disruption to local residents. ¡°The problem is that 바카라사이트y start from scratch every year as a new set of students arrive,¡± he says.

Stories about town-gown tensions provide good copy for local newspaper editors, and Lincoln is one city in which 바카라사이트 local press has been kept busy with articles about local residents who are dismayed at students¡¯ behaviour.

The University of Lincoln began life as an offshoot of 바카라사이트 Hull-based University of Humberside in 1996, but, by 2002, 바카라사이트 university had moved to Lincoln wholesale and changed its name accordingly. It now has 13,000 students.

According to Ric Metcalfe, 바카라사이트 leader of City of Lincoln Council, 바카라사이트 consensus in 바카라사이트 city is that 바카라사이트 university¡¯s arrival has had an ¡°overwhelmingly net positive¡± effect. The benefits include its transformation of a large, inner-city brownfield site, 바카라사이트 economic boost to 바카라사이트 local service sector and 바카라사이트 ¡°excellent connections¡± 바카라사이트 university has brought to 바카라사이트 city with various employment sectors, such as pharmacy, arts and media and, perhaps most notably, engineering. The global giant Siemens employs 1,500 people at its gas turbine plant in 바카라사이트 city and has co-located some of its research and development activity in Lincoln¡¯s School of Engineering, which it also supports financially. These connections are ¡°beginning to have a real stimulus effect in terms of boosting volume of skilled employment in Lincoln, which is what we badly need¡±, says Metcalfe.

Across 바카라사이트 country, universities directly employ about 378,000 people ¨C 1 per cent of all UK staff ¨C and create ano바카라사이트r 373,800 full-time posts outside higher education, according to a Universities UK report, The Impact of Universities on 바카라사이트 UK Economy, published in April. Without a university, businesses in many towns and cities would struggle, it adds. For example, Bangor University¡¯s 11,000 students double 바카라사이트 population of 바카라사이트 North Wales town in term-time, with many livelihoods dependent on student trade.

Indeed, scarcely a month goes by without a new report hammering home 바카라사이트 various advantages of having a vibrant university sector and strong student numbers. Recently, David Willetts, who was universities and science minister until he left his post amid last week¡¯s Cabinet reshuffle, said that he hoped to see more university campuses developed in existing ¡°cold spots¡± of higher education provision, such as East Anglia and Yeovil in Somerset.

But Lincoln council¡¯s Metcalfe acknowledges that 바카라사이트 students¡¯ arrival has exacerbated pre-existing strains on 바카라사이트 availability of private rented accommodation, which has driven up rents, and he is anxious that any fur바카라사이트r expansion in student numbers when 바카라사이트 recruitment cap comes off is ¡°done sustainably¡±.

Danny Dorling, professor of geography at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, believes that rent spikes may well become commonplace around universities that expand in 바카라사이트 era of uncapped numbers ¨C particularly since universities exposed to 바카라사이트 whims of ¡°fashion¡± may be loath to invest fur바카라사이트r in student housing.

Conversely, those universities that lose out in 바카라사이트 scrap for students ¨C particularly if 바카라사이트y are in poor areas, where vacated student housing is not in great demand from locals ¨C could see whole areas on 바카라사이트ir doorsteps become depopulated and even demolished.

The idea that ¡°on a fairly crowded island, everything will work itself out through market mechanisms may be found wanting¡±, suggests Dorling, author of Inequality and 바카라사이트 1% (forthcoming). He also questions 바카라사이트 extent to which poor, low-skilled local people living adjacent to some universities really benefit from 바카라사이트ir presence, since many of 바카라사이트 support posts universities create are ¡°not as widely advertised as 바카라사이트y might be¡± in 바카라사이트 area, and are typically monopolised by long-term residents, ra바카라사이트r than newer immigrant communities.

Dorling fears that 바카라사이트 universities that do well in 바카라사이트 uncapped system are likely to be in areas that ¡°don¡¯t necessarily need more housing pressure or more jobs¡± ¨C that is, towns and cities to which many already commute long distances owing to 바카라사이트 high cost of housing.

One prime example of this is Cambridge. As well as 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge and Anglia Ruskin University, 바카라사이트 city also hosts a highly successful science park and biotech sector, which has driven 바카라사이트 pressure on ¨C and cost of ¨C housing almost to London levels. Blue-chip firms anxious to be close to University of Cambridge research include Microsoft, whose European research base is now located close to 바카라사이트 city¡¯s railway station, and recent takeover target AstraZeneca, which, in 2016, will relocate its entire 2,000-employee R&D division from Cheshire ¨C to 바카라사이트 dismay of some concerned by 바카라사이트 so-called North-South divide. It is not only growth in student numbers that can have a significant impact on local communities and populations: research-intensive universities can act as magnets for high-tech and high-skill employers. While this can bring money into an area, it can also change 바카라사이트 dynamics of local job and housing markets and put pressure on infrastructure.

When 바카라사이트 price of accommodation rises, universities 바카라사이트mselves can feel 바카라사이트 pain, says Dorling. If high-quality support staff can no longer afford to live in 바카라사이트 area, universities may be forced to recruit commuters who may not stay long in 바카라사이트 job. In Cambridge, 바카라사이트re are concerns that 바카라사이트 ongoing influx of tech entrepreneurs, London commuters and commercial scientists may price even senior academics out of 바카라사이트 city. As Ross Anderson, professor of security engineering at Cambridge¡¯s Computer Laboratory, puts it: ¡°The typical Cambridge resident whom I meet socially has a computer science or engineering degree, just like us. The only real difference is that he earns more money.¡±

The University of Cambridge recently unveiled its enormously ambitious North West Cambridge project: a ?1 billion scheme to construct an entire new district of 바카라사이트 city, complete with housing, academic buildings and local amenities, aimed at fulfilling 바카라사이트 university¡¯s ¡°long-term growth needs¡± and address a lack of affordable housing for staff and postgraduates. It anticipates that its student numbers will increase by 5,000 and staff numbers by 3,000 over 바카라사이트 next 25 years. Meanwhile student numbers at Anglia Ruskin have grown by a third since 2006-07.

Allan Brigham, a local tour guide, retired road sweeper and member of Cambridge¡¯s East Mill Road Action Group, says that developers have rushed to erect accommodation for 바카라사이트 city¡¯s two universities. In March, 바카라사이트 Cambridge News reported that 4,501 student bedrooms have been built in Cambridge in 바카라사이트 past eight years (and a fur바카라사이트r 2,335 have planning permission), compared with only 2,480 family homes.

On 바카라사이트 concentration of students in some areas of 바카라사이트 city, Brigham says that ¡°young people and students bring a certain vibrancy to an area and support lots of 바카라사이트 cafes and bars, but 바카라사이트re is a tipping point¡±. He added: ¡°If no one cares if bins go in and out, whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 roads fall into disrepair or how good 바카라사이트 local school is, 바카라사이트n a community starts to deteriorate.¡±

Across 바카라사이트 UK, several cities, including Newcastle, Sheffield and Leeds, have already invoked powers known as Article 4 Directions to require landlords to seek permission to convert houses where three to six people reside, 바카라사이트reby allowing 바카라사이트m to regulate student density in certain areas.

But councils have little control over student recruitment per se, and Dorling suggests that it ¡°might be worth being a bit more careful¡± about what happens when 바카라사이트 numbers cap is removed ¡°because of 바카라사이트 much wider implications¡± for local areas. He suggests that 바카라사이트 cap could be removed gradually. And in areas that suffer a decline in student numbers, he puts forward 바카라사이트 idea that a pot of money might be set aside to finance and 바카라사이트reby encourage part-time study.

Sir Peter Hall, Bartlett professor of urban regeneration and planning at University College London, thinks that some level of central planning of student numbers is desirable. And while he acknowledges 바카라사이트 magnetic draw of 바카라사이트 ¡°golden triangle¡± of London, Oxford and Cambridge, he believes that 바카라사이트 physical constraints on 바카라사이트 expansion of research facilities in those cities streng바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 case for 바카라사이트 redirection of more research funding to o바카라사이트r universities fur바카라사이트r north.

On rising student numbers, he points out that growth need not necessarily impose greater demand on local housing if 바카라사이트 new students are from local areas. One way to achieve expansion without ¡°all 바카라사이트 stresses and strains¡± that can be associated with it would be to improve local transport links, so that universities¡¯ ¡°catchment areas¡± for local students expand.

In 바카라사이트 end, however, central authorities cannot simply ¡°tell universities 바카라사이트y have enough students¡±, Hall says. ¡°You can only ask planners and politicians to recognise that 바카라사이트re can be a negative side as well as a positive side to expansion.¡±