Bid to improve Cardiff's student housing » Housing » 24dash.com

A new action plan has been drawn up to address the needs and impact of Cardiff's large student population.

The Cardiff Community Student Plan, which brings together the local authority, Cardiff University, the University of Wales Institute Cardiff (UWIC) and the University of Glamorgan has been adopted by Cardiff Council.

The plan details information gathered on the students including the number living in the city, the condition and location of their housing and their lifestyle issues.

Examples of good practice and issues are highlighted before aims and actions to further improve the facilities and services available to students are set out.

A new student liaison officer, jointly funded by the Council and the universities, will be appointed to assist in the implementation of the plan.

The new officer will be responsible for taking forward the action plan, strengthening the partnership between the Council and universities and providing a single contact point for student housing and lifestyle issues.

The 2001 Census showed that 11 per cent of Cardiff's population comprised of students. The concentration of students in a small geographic location can have both a positive and negative effect on the local area on several different levels - social, cultural, physical and economic.

The plan tackles issues such as how to provide the right number of student dwellings across the city at the right costs and aims to improve the quality of student accommodation by developing the Council's Accreditation scheme.

This scheme - popular with landlords of student properties - has been developed in partnership with the universities to acknowledge good quality and well-managed accommodation. The Council also holds an annual landlords open day.

The action plan considers car parking issues and transport, crime against students, student behaviour and nuisance and waste management.

A large number of students bring cars to university and this impacts on residents accessing parking near to their homes.  The plan aims to encourage the reduction of car ownership among students and promote the use of alternative methods of transport.

Litter problems rise dramatically in high density student areas at the end of term because properties are not cleared out on time.  Dumped rubbish accumulates in front gardens, attracting vermin and spills out into streets causing a constant eyesore and expensive clean-up problems for the Council over following weeks.

The 'Get it Out for Cardiff' campaign, the big clean-up initiative run by the Council in partnership with the universities and student representatives, has proved successful in recent years in tackling the problems and the new plan seeks to build on that success by encouraging students to recycle and correctly store and dispose of domestic refuse.

Executive Member for Housing, Communities and Social Justice, Cllr Judith Woodman said: "All parties have collaborated well in the development of this action plan and I'm delighted that officers have been able to work so closely with the universities.

 "A considerable amount of work has gone in to drafting the plan. Students form an important part of the wider community in Cardiff and I'm very pleased the Council has adopted the strategic action plan which will only benefit the university communities and the local residents living in those student areas."

Sarah Spencer, UWIC's Accommodation Services Manager said: "UWIC has been very pleased to be one of the partners involved in producing the Strategy and Action Plan. UWIC is committed to working with our partners to ensure the continuing improvement in the quality of accommodation for students in Cardiff and to ensure that accommodation is available that is appropriate for their needs."

Head of Campus Services at the University of Glamorgan, Helen Woodward, said: "The University of Glamorgan is delighted to be part of this initiative and takes very seriously the quality of life and experience for private residents and students."

Professor Teresa Rees CBE, Cardiff University Pro Vice-Chancellor for staff and student issues, said: "Cardiff is one of the most popular destinations for UK students, reflected in the fact we presently receive an average of eight applications for every undergraduate place at the University. Our students make an important social, cultural and economic contribution to city life and gain great benefit from being part of the Cardiff community.

"We are delighted to be working with the Council on this new initiative which will further enhance the student experience and bring more benefit to Cardiff from its status as a major university city."

The action plan will be reviewed and progress monitored by the Student Housing Working Group, with updates on progress being made reported to the University Quartet.

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