Wadham students have been offered the chance to live in Balliol-owned accommodation next year while renovation work is carried out in college.
Housing on Jowett Walk will provide for 21 Wadhamites and will be subsidised by the College so that students will rent rooms for the same price as those living in.
The news was welcomed by students who had feared being moved to the Merifield annexe, located in Summertown. SU President Leonora Sagan said, “I am delighted with the new proposal and it was myself, my Treasurer and Housing officers who proposed it to College. We have already had so many volunteers we’ve had to do application forms.”
She went on to add, “The proximity [of Jowett Walk] also means that those who wish to can still have meals in College anyway, and will be centrally located.”
Housing officers Sally Caswell and Beth Doran expressed their approval at the new proposal, saying, “We are extremely pleased with this situation. The complex allows students to live close to their friends and so enjoy what might be their last year with their friends.” The site is said to offer students a good deal as it is self-catered and a short distance from the College library.
The College originally sent a JCR email asking for 13 volunteers to move to the Summertown annexe because of planned renovation work on the front quad. As the annexe is approximately a 30-minute walk from the centre of Oxford, students were reluctant to give up a guaranteed place in College and feared being forced out.
James Coe, Wadham SU Treasuer, explained, “The Balliol JCR president made us aware that rooms in Jowett Walk were available but the cost looked too high for our students. We therefore looked into seeing if the College could afford to subsidise the rooms so students would not be losing out and have somewhere they wanted to live… Although I was a little surprised how readily they took up this solution I expected a compromise along these lines could be reached.”
He added, “The overwhelming opinion is that those who were to be forced to give up their guaranteed year in College now have an attractive convenient place to live while doing their finals. I think the students are happy and the College is happy, so it is win-win.”
Balliol JCR President Adam Smith said, “I discussed the issue with our Domestic Bursar who had already received an approach from Wadham concerning the rooms. Balliol JCR is glad to help in any way possible. I am pleased that a solution has been reached.”
by Katherine Hall, Deputy News Editor
