Money worries force student digs rethink
A COUNCIL leader has been forced to renegotiate a deal to provide student digs for Gary Neville’s new university – because the original could have cost taxpayers ‘tens of millions.’
Trafford Labour chief Andrew Western said the previous Conservative administration had entered into a formal agreement with Mr Neville, Lancaster University and Equity Solutions, guaranteeing the provision of student accommodation at residents’ expense.
But Coun Western was told by the authority’s legal team that the financial risk was ‘unmitigated and incalculable.’
A senior source at the council said it could have cost taxpayers in the authority ‘tens of millions of pounds.’
Coun Western said the financial challenge facing Trafford, and the priority to provide affordable housing for residents, meant the council should not manage student accommodation.
He said: “We will ensure that accommodation will be available from 2019 through the agreement. Thereafter, alternative providers will be required.”
The university, to be called ‘UA92,’ will offer sports and media courses. It is set to open at the former Kellogg’s building in Talbot Road next year, and more than 650 students are expected to enrol. That figure is predicted to double in 2020.