Students expressed concern this week about the council’s proposed clampdown on student housing. The Council announced that they “propose a maximum of 20% of houses in any 100 metre stretch of residential street permitted”.
Students expressed concern this week about the council’s proposed clampdown on student housing.
The Council announced that they “propose a maximum of 20% of houses in any 100 metre stretch of residential street permitted”.
A report by the Head of City Development in Oxford stated that all new Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) for student tenants would be resisted above this threshold.
However, the Council said, “we do not have the power to reduce the existing percentage in a street if this is already over 20%.”
Disha Gulati, a St Peter’s second year living out in Cowley, commented, “I don’t think the Council should be taking this attitude towards students, because being a student is a really valuable thing.”
Arvind Singhal, a 4th year Medic, also expressed concerns about the proposals. He said “As a medic, living between the centre, where lots of my friends still live in college, and the Hospital, where I work, is pretty essential. Moving closer to either one would probably involve a trade off between work and friends which would be a bit unfair.”
A Lib Dem councillor claimed that the plans, which are currently under public consultation, would adversely affect students’ quality of life by “forcing them to locate elsewhere”.
Mark Mills, Deputy leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on the council, said, “I am alarmed by these proposals which seem to be ill thought through and will create a lose-lose situation for Town and Gown alike.”
However, Colin Cook, the Labour councillor who led the report, said that in the context of Oxford’s severe housing shortage the proposals simply aimed “to strike a balance between the housing needs of everyone in the community,” and noted that the current proposals will not of themselves reduce the number of HMOs available to students.
The proposals come after a concerted campaign by residents’ associations to prevent the creation of ‘student ghettos’ forming within the city.
According to figures released by the Council, between 11 – 22% of houses are occupied by students in some areas.
But Ivon Asquith, of the Divinity Road Area Residents Association, claims that the figure on certain roads, including the “lower half” of Divinity Road and Marston Road, can be as high as 75%.
He added, “something between 10 – 20% would be ideal.”
Asquith added, “It’s a lack of neighbourliness which can be a problem….anti-social behaviour is a big issue…noise at night can be pretty grim”, he continued.
However, one student claimed that he had experienced several problems with neighbours, including “a crazy old woman who keeps coming on to my friends.”
Disha Gulati said, “I don’t think the lack of neighbourliness or anti social behaviour is due to students…it is the people from poor backgrounds who live in cowley who are distrusting of their neighbours, and cowley houses are a destination for squatters, which is one of the key reasons that there is a lack of community feeling.”
A report by the Head of City Development in Oxford stated that all new Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) for student tenants would be resisted above this threshold. However, the Council said, “we do not have the power to reduce the existing percentage in a street if this is already over 20%.”
Disha Gulati, a St Peter’s second year living out in Cowley, commented, “I don’t think the Council should be taking this attitude towards students, because being a student is a really valuable thing.”
Arvind Singhal, a 4th year Medic, also expressed concerns about the proposals. He said “As a medic, living between the centre, where lots of my friends still live in college, and the Hospital, where I work, is pretty essential. Moving closer to either one would probably involve a trade off between work and friends which would be a bit unfair.”
A Lib Dem councillor claimed that the plans, which are currently under public consultation, would adversely affect students’ quality of life by “forcing them to locate elsewhere”.
Mark Mills, Deputy leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on the council, said, “I am alarmed by these proposals which seem to be ill thought through and will create a lose-lose situation for Town and Gown alike.”
However, Colin Cook, the Labour councillor who led the report, said that in the context of Oxford’s severe housing shortage the proposals simply aimed “to strike a balance between the housing needs of everyone in the community,” and noted that the current proposals will not of themselves reduce the number of HMOs available to students.
The proposals come after a concerted campaign by residents’ associations to prevent the creation of ‘student ghettos’ forming within the city. According to figures released by the Council, between 11 – 22% of houses are occupied by students in some areas.
But Ivon Asquith, of the Divinity Road Area Residents Association, claims that the figure on certain roads, including the “lower half” of Divinity Road and Marston Road, can be as high as 75%.’
He added, “something between 10 – 20% would be ideal.”
“It’s a lack of neighbourliness which can be a problem….anti-social behaviour is a big issue…noise at night can be pretty grim”, he continued.
However, one student claimed that he had experienced several problems with neighbours, including “a crazy old woman who keeps coming on to my friends.”
Disha Gulati said, “I don’t think the lack of neighbourliness or anti social behaviour is due to students…it is the people from poor backgrounds who live in cowley who are distrusting of their neighbours, and cowley houses are a destination for squatters, which is one of the key reasons that there is a lack of community feeling.”
