St Andrews move is a stand for students

Sir, – In Thursday’s paper, the president of St Andrews Students’ Association claimed to be “astounded by the lack of regard for students in all the discussions” by councillors when they set thresholds to prevent the proportion of houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) from rising.

As one of the councillors present, I am astounded by the student president’s selective hearing. Virtually everyone who spoke expressed concern about the high price of student accommodation and the poor condition of some HMOs in St Andrews.

However, councillors felt the solution was not to open up the market to unlimited exploitation by Rackmanite landlords and allow the centre of St Andrews to become an exclusive student ghetto. One after another called on the university to provide affordable accommodation for the increasing numbers of students it is admitting.

St Andrews University has the lowest proportion of students from poor backgrounds in Scotland, and one reason is the high cost of accommodation in the town. If the university is serious about addressing this inequality of opportunity, then it needs to offer the kind of lower-priced accommodation which students want, rather than the expensive, highend rooms it is currently building. This is also the only sure way to protect students from substandard living conditions and unscrupulous landlords.

Students’ lack of regard for St Andrews’ permanent residents, on the other hand, is all too evident in the high number of reported incidents of anti-social behaviour in the town centre. It is triple the next highest rate in north-east Fife and triple the Fife average. Cllr Linda Holt, East Neuk and Landward. Dreel House, Pittenweem.

Picture: Steven Brown. Criticism has arisen over the high price of student accommodation in St Andrews.