EUSA begins survey into tense community relations

Edinburgh University Students' Association (EUSA) has commissioned an independent survey in a bid to reveal the causes of tension between Edinburgh students and local residents.

EUSA's president-elect and current external affairs convener, Thomas Graham said: “We’re speaking to local residents who are students and local residents who aren’t in order to find out what sort of thing is going on and to start addressing what leads people to call for HMO quotas.

"There are some people who are very vocal and we want to try to find out the reality of the situation.”

Last summer's repeat attempt to introduce quotas on HMO licences—which would restrict the number of houses of multiple occupancy available in the city centre—was defeated in the face of EUSA’s “Right to Rent” campaign, with the additional result that the council pledged £5000 to help discover the root of the problem.

Statistics obtained by The Journal show that there was an 11.9 per cent increase in the number of HMO applications recieved by the city council in 2008 compared with the previous year. Whilst 4622 license applications were recieved by the council in 2007, this number jumped to 5174 in 2008.

Almost 80 per cent of all HMO license applications are concentrated within three Edinburgh City Council wards. Nearly one-third of HMO licenses applications were within the Meadows/Morningside area, which houses a number of students from Edinburgh and Napier universities.

Similarly, a quarter of applications for licenses were in the Southside/Newington area, whilst the City Centre ward accounts for 19.8 per cent of applications.

A spokeswoman for the Greenside Residents Association, which supports the introduction of HMO quotas, told The Journal: “I have lived next door to students who were really nice and respectful, but even if they try to be quiet they still come home late and have lots of people coming up and down the stairs; their lives are contrary to those who are working.

"The simple fact is that they’re on a different schedule. I don’t think anyone has anything against students—most of us have been there—but it’s hard to have sympathy when you’re just trying to get some sleep at 3am.”

The research has received financial support from both EUSA and Edinburgh university itself. Organisers say it ought to show residents not only that students have an ear for their problems, but also aims to gather material for an impending living guide to be distributed amongst students leaving halls of residence or home, in order to help them become better neighbours.

Mr Graham continued: “The guide is going to include things like cards that students can hand out to their neighbours when they move in with their contact details and a number for their landlord."

"One of the biggest complaints we receive is that people have no idea who their neighbours are. Students who have never lived away from home before might not realise the impact they have."

He added: “I’m not going to pretend that a booklet will solve all the problems but it’s one of many things we’re doing that will make a difference even if it doesn’t make a big impact.”

Development of purpose-built student accommodation by the UNITE Group, which houses over 36,000 students in the UK, is on the increase in Edinburgh. If quotas on HMO licenses are introduced, the number of these so-called "student ghettos" is expected to swell – something critics say will result in an influx of students into concentrated areas.

UNITE’s latest development on McDonald Road was approved last month, despite over 130 objections from local residents, Broughton Primary school and politicians. The proposed site was initially rejected by the council but planning permission was granted after the group agreed to a set of 18 conditions, including a donation of £91,457 towards the Edinburgh Tram scheme.

The GRA spokeswoman remains sceptical that either EUSA’s living guide or UNITE are the answers to their problem: “If there was a guideline, I don’t think students would pay attention, but any help is welcome. I think telling them in lectures would be more effective. I’ve spoken to quite a lot of residents about this and they all have horror stories.

"I’m not pro these kinds of ghettos, but perhaps students will understand what it’s like to live next to students. The problem with UNITE is that they build far away from campuses. There should be more halls of residence, the old system really worked; you should live closer to the campus. However I appreciate that it’s not always possible.”

In addition to investigating the causes between neighbourly disputes, EUSA are also trying to highlight the positive impact which students have upon their communities, ranging from the economic to the charitable – for example the Meadows marathon and the Dirty Weekenders, who undertake conservation work around the city. Mr Graham expressed his belief that students’ “massive role is undersold.”

EUSA’s guide is to be posted along with the matriculation packs at the beginning of the next university year.