Rising Hes East prices spark worries of campus inequality
Heslington East fieldsGoodricke students moving to the Heslington East development in 2009 look set to face higher accommodation fees to compensate for rising construction costs. The campus expansion project, which began in 2007 at a cost of £500 million, will become the new home of Goodricke College by next year. However, the cost of the build looks set to disadvantage students financially.
Speaking at Senate last week, YUSU President Anne-Marie Canning revealed that “the rents on Heslington East would be higher than anywhere on Heslington West.”
“This build has cost a lot of money and it has to, basically, wash its own face,” she added. In order to maximise the profitability of accommodation in Heslington East, plans have been put forward to make all rooms en suite, or the charge an equal accommodation fee for both standard and en-suite rooms.
The move has sparked great debate within the Union, creating fears that a situation of ‘Collegeopoly’ will develop, with only the wealthiest students able to afford the newer, ‘Mayfair-style’ accommodation. “We went through this campaign for differential rent years ago and for a reason,” said YUSU Services and Finance Officer Matt Burton, “and that was to prevent different colleges becoming different classes. I think that by differentiating rents it would become a situation of the rich and the poor.”
YUSU Environment and Ethics Officer Tom Langley echoed Burton’s comments, saying: “You’re looking at a university where you essentially have segregation according to ability to pay. I personally find it a really horrifying thought and I don’t like the idea of basically having people in ghettos according to what they can and cannot afford.”
Canning also expressed concern that the divide could grow into an inter-campus gulf. “It poses the question about having two campuses,” she said. “which is a real worry actually, creating an old and a new campus, a rich and a poor campus.”
YUSU Societies and Communications Officer Sam Bayley believes that the divide could lead to falling standards of maintenance in existing colleges. “If rents on Campus West are lower, the pressure is on the university to keep refurbishing and improving other colleges,” he said. “The issue is that some colleges, like Derwent, may fall behind on their maintenance in comparison to Hes East.”
The duration of lets available on the new Heslington East development also came into question, with the suggestion that the university would abolish the popular 33 week let. As well as being financially detrimental to many students, it was also suggested that this move could reduce diversity in Goodricke College. Langley admitted that “the duration of let does have a big impact on college make-up. I was in Langwith E Block in my first year where we had a longer let than the rest of Langwith. The effect was that more than 50% of the college was made up of international students.”
Goodricke JCRC Chair Joe Clarke voiced his concern about a potential loss of college spirit: “The acceptance of Heslington East came with certain conditions. One of those was to maintain the social atmosphere and feeling of Goodricke. Part of this atmosphere is created by the long corridors and the shared facilities, which don’t force people to integrate but encourages them. This could be lost.”
JH
If people want to pay more for rooms with baths and decent sized kitchens, let them. If people can’t afford it then they thats not the problem of those who can.