Student housing scandal

Published on Friday 19 September 2008 21:40

AS a student at St Andrews, I was pleased to see Jeremy Godwin point out the horrendous cost of student rent here (Letters, 9 September). Christopher Smith, a vice-principal, is quick to defend the university's role in this (Letters, 12 September); however, he does so in a very disingenuous manner.

He claims St Andrews "provides more affordable accommodation than any other Scottish university", but he forgets to mention there are fewer than 496 affordable beds available for undergraduates. There was an undergraduate population of 5,746 for the year ending 2007.

Being able to provide affordable beds for less than 9 per cent of undergraduates is not enough, considering St Andrews is the most expensive town for student rent in Scotland, and the fifth highest in the entire UK.

Mr Smith says the university "worked harder than ever this year to increase our provision of beds, and are committed to major capital expenditure in our residential system".

Here is the reality: the university is going to knock down 252 of its cheapest bedrooms, which cost 55.56 per week to rent. Its "major capital expenditure" involves replacing these with 777 luxury accommodation beds, which we have been told will be in the price range of 97-130 per week. These are self-catering prices. To put this figure in perspective, when combined with other student living costs, even the lower estimate will mean spending more than the maximum student loan each year.

Because of the severe shortage of affordable accommodation in this area, it is Fife Council's policy that 30 per cent of housing built in or around the town must be affordable. Instead of trying to meet this requirement, St Andrews University petitioned the Scottish Government to change the law.

IAIN NICOL

Livingstone Crescent

St Andrews, Fife