Testun llawn:
I am encouraged by your preferred option 6(d), to provide student housing in "suitable locations - and not in areas" where student accommodation is already exceeding private homes in the vicinity. But I trust that you will be consulting with local residents before detailing such locations in your final plan.
I live in Leamington Spa, which is the preferred student location according to one housing officer at Warwick University, who said she would love to get more students into Coventry. I therefore believe that this aspect, regarding student preference, should be addressed before our new Local Plan is finalised; in order that Coventry can be seen to get its fair share of benefits from the student economy group.
After all, Coventry did gift the green belt land upon which Warwick University now stands (see current Local Plan 10.16). It also has as many nightclubs as Leamington currently boasts (even though Leamington has less than half the population of Coventry). Hence it would seem prudent to investigate the reasons why students reportedly prefer Leamington and, where possible, implement measures to redress this apparent imbalance and reduce the burden on our local towns.
In addition, I think it is important to note that it has always been the custom to locate Halls of Residence on campus, not in towns. Further, that student houses have traditionally been old stock (with bathrooms so cold the toothpaste freezes!), not new builds. As this is all part of the student experience - and character building.
However, the growing trend, in Leamington in particular, is to move away from these traditions and to allow developers to erect purpose-built hostel blocks in quasi 'halls of residence' style, with minute rooms - thus encouraging students to go out most evenings rather than settle down to their studies.
Further, in my opinion our towns have absolutely no responsibility to provide 'halls of residence' in any form. Warwick University has committed itself to an expansion plan and, as such, has made itself responsible for providing halls of residence on campus. I note, in 10.18 of our 1996-2011 Local Plan, that 43 hectares of green belt land has already been identified for such use, and so I fail to see why further demands need to be made upon our towns. We are not Oxford.
Moreover, I am aware that it is beneficial to our towns to attract students so that local enterprise can benefit from student spending power. I am also aware that many students choose to remain in their university towns, and thereby contribute to the regeneration of such towns. But, there is little evidence of that many graduates remaining in Leamington and so it is only the business sector that benefits from their presence - while local residents suffer from a social imbalance caused by such a large and 'non-contributory' transient populous that has no interest in the local community.
Another problem, particularly in Leamington, seems to result from a conflict between the student demand for old stock houses (HMOs) and the demand of house buyers (permanent residents of the town) for the restoration and maintenance of old houses that fall within conservation areas, such as those in Leamington Old Town - where the number of student houses has already started to overtake privately owned and rented homes. This has resulted in an imbalance within local communities that needs both immediate attention, and, future protection.
It is therefore essential, in my opinion, that WDC ensure our local plan includes clearly defined parameters within which further provision of student housing be accepted; not simply state, 'in suitable areas - and not in areas which already have large amounts of such accommodation", (per the Preferred Options Summary). The volume of students demanding housing in Leamington is now a serious threat to the livelihood of the town and, as such, should be given due consideration and prominence.
If Leamington remains the preferred location for students attending Warwick University, and if the demand for student housing increases because of a known expansion plan, then I firmly believe the time has come for our council to take positive steps to prevent Leamington from becoming nothing more than a money-earning shopping plaza, engulfed in a quasi student campus, with no hope of future regeneration.