Anyone who has lived as an adult in close proximity to a group of students will know only too well what tremendous fun it can be.
However, the City of Edinburgh Council (CEC) has reservations about the situation. It argues that purpose-built student accommodation has failed to keep pace with increased student numbers, resulting in more and more studious citizens seeking digs in centrally located, tenemental HMOs. This in turn results in more and more HMOs, less stable communities, rapid turnover of population, and properties left empty during the summer holidays.
The City now plans to tackle the problem by encouraging new purpose-built student accommodation, but where? New guidelines – supplementary to the Edinburgh City Local Plan – have been drafted, and CEC seeks the public's opinion of them (and the web-based design in which the final version will be available). Generally, they propose building in or adjacent to existing campuses, or within easy commuting distance by foot, bike or public transport (so long as student numbers do not exceed 30% of the local population). Elsewhere, new student housing will not normally be allowed.
To read the draft guidelines, visit www.edinburgh.gov.uk. Consultation will continue between 30 March and 11 May, and comments should be sent to: kenneth.bowes@edinburgh.gov.uk or Kenny Bowes, City of Edinburgh Council, Level G.1, Waverley Court, 4 East Market Street, Edinburgh EH8 8BG.
[Photo courtesy of FreeFoto.com.]