On-campus rents to rise

On-campus rents look set to rise by an average of 3 per cent for the next academic year. Moreover, there will be a phasing out of some of the existing halls of residence.

Accommodation costs are being raised in line with general inflation, however, the rise is not universal; increases are lower in the halls with the lowest satisfaction rating, including Claycroft (0.9 per cent) and Whitefields and Cryfield (both 2.6 per cent). The rise is weighted more heavily towards the most popular accommodation, which also tends to be en-suite, such as Jack Martin (4 per cent) and Arthur Vick (3.8 per cent)

George Whitworth, Students’ Union (SU) Development Officer, said that the increases were “fairly reasonable, especially as the rise is weighted dependent on how satisfied students are with where they are living.” In comparison to accommodation offered by other Russell Group universities, Warwick provides the cheapest halls with Cryfield, but also the most expensive (excluding London) with Bluebell.

Whitworth said Warwick’s Accommodation’s main aim is “to maintain what they call a ‘ladder of rents’ between cheap and expensive.” The campus currently has 6,302 bedrooms spread across 14 halls of residence for undergraduates and postgraduates. A 39-week let for Bluebell costs £145 a week at present. Cryfield and Hurst are the cheapest options, with both costing £76 a week.

Despite the availability of ‘cheap’ on-campus accommodation, concerns have nevertheless been raised about the annual rent prices at the University. Many of the halls have annual rent prices which far exceed the standard maintenance loan given to students. Yet Whitworth claimed that this is the fault of the Student Loan Company (SLC) saying “given the comparative data, and the fact that the University only breaks even on accommodation prices, that is more a fault of the Student Loan Company than the University”

There are also plans in place for an overhaul of the existing accommodation available on-campus, with 500 en-suite rooms being added at Lakeside, which will be for first-year undergraduates and will cost £117 a week.

Hurst, which was until this year available to finalist students, will be empty next academic year. Moreover, Whitefields, the University’s second-cheapest halls of residence at just £77 a week, will also be phased out in three years time. Hurst will not be immediately demolished, but will remain as emergency accommodation for first-year undergraduates at the beginning of the next academic year in the event of the University oversubscribing, something which has occurred for the last few years and has led to the problem of first-year students having to search for off-campus accommodation in Leamington Spa and Coventry.

After this, Hurst will most likely be dismantled. Several finalists living in Hurst thought that its removal is unnecessary, despite holding some reservations about its quality. Vicky Lowe, a fourth-year French and History student who lives in Hurst, was critical of the demolition, “I don’t think it’s warranted, it’s a bit antiquated but it’s not terrible.” She also felt the prices of some of the higher-end accommodation were excessive, “the cost of Bluebell and some of the other more expensive halls are ridiculous, even with an en-suite the prices aren’t justified.” She did however feel that most on-campus prices were a bargain when compared to costs in Leamington Spa.

The justification for the removal of Hurst is that it is too maintenance-heavy to keep on. Welfare Officer Izzy John believes Hurst’s demolition is justified, highlighting that it consistently has a low satisfaction rate. “Given the standards set by newer accommodation such as Bluebell I don’t think those rates will change unless something is done.”

Tocil will be removed as an accommodation choice for undergraduates in order to fill the void left by Hurst’s removal. The space left by Whitefields will be left empty due to its proximity to the Students’ Union.