Sir – We welcome the new laws which have been proposed by John Denham, the Communities Minister, to make it harder for neighbourhoods in university towns to be colonised by large student populations.
This is a topic which is highly relevant for residents in East Oxford who oppose Brookes University’s ambition to concentrate most of its academic and student accommodation on and around their already highly populated campus in Headington.
Local residents’ associations have organised a public meeting on September 23 at 7.30pm at Cheney School, in Headington, to discuss ways to restrain Brookes negative impact on surrounding residential communities.
We have invited Andrew Smith MP, prospective parliamentary candidates, local councillors and Brookes representatives.
The main speaker will be Danny Dorling, Professor of Human Geography and ex-Cheney pupil, who will speak about his research on the problems of loneliness or anomie (associated with mental health problems) which are commonly experienced by permanent residents in student-dominated areas. Other local speakers have been invited as well. The residents’ associations are looking forward to a constructive discussion with our local politicians and representatives from Brookes.
They would like Oxford City Council to follow the lead of central Government and tackle student ghettoes and promote stronger and more vibrant communities, where permanent residents feel reconnected to their neighbourhoods.
This can only be beneficial, as research has demonstrated that strong communities can protect us against poor mental health, and reduce antisocial behaviour and crime.
Ken Lovesy, Sietske Boeles, Kerry Patterson, On behalf of the organising Headington and East Oxford Residents’ Associations
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