Controversial student tower block decision due (From Daily Echo)

So the landlords of the SLUM STUDENT ACCOMMODATION in St Mary's / Newtown object to Good Quality rooms for students & nurses etc.

I believe there will be far less unsociable behaviour from students from these blocks than Polygon / St Mary's areas etc.

There will be far less rubbish littering the pavements etc.

854 students equates to only approx 145 houses of multiple occupancy.

A good idea and a good place to put it

The building already exists, and most people will struggle to notice any difference afterwards.

I live on its doorstep and the existing student population are hardly noticeable and very well behaved, although human beings being what they are I’m certain there will be the occasional exception. A local councillor (Barnes-Andrews) states that there is not a single recorded instance of a student from Orion’s Point being involved in antisocial behaviour. On the other hand, there are numerous police and Echo reports of students being attacked in the nearby park by local thugs.

The opposition to student residences comes almost entirely from slum landlords, their extended family and friends, already profiteering from the shortage of adequate housing not just for students, but for hard-working families too poor to buy, and too far down the council housing list to ever get adequately housed. These unscrupulous slum landlords are seeking to protect their turf by restricting new suppliers of good quality accommodation.

And quite scandalously, these profiteering slum landlords and their campaign group are being supported by the three Labour councillors for Bevois, and by "community workers" employed by Southampton City Council.

The campaign group itself is no more than a front organisation for the local Labour Party. Details of people (complete with deliberate spelling errors) who attended its recent public meeting found their way from the campaign group via a council community worker to the Labour Party who then used them (complete with the same deliberate spelling errors) for mailings to garner further support. Not simply disgraceful, but unlawful. It appears the Labour Party doesn't understand that data protection laws apply to them also.

The Orion’s Point development deserves to get planning approval. It is a wholly good thing to put a redundant office property to good use for badly needed housing in an area that Shelter recently identified as having amongst the highest rents in the South outside of London.

Alternative uses simply do not exist. Southampton is already oversupplied with office space, and there are no other uses to which this existing modern property might be used for.

While everybody can never be the same by law of averages most students are intelligent and better behaved than local yobs and even more considerate towards other members of the human race than some of the shark landlords.

It is amazing how landlords do not object to money from students, which has turned lots of them into millionaires but then either themselves have objected to this planning application or may have encouraged their friends to make anti student noises.

If there is any truth in what George H appear to have exposed in his comment, regarding involvement of Council Workers and NuLabour, then it should be a matter of serious concern.

Job of the local authority is to consider planning application and make sure it meets certain requirements, prejudice against any group of people thankfully is not one of those. So hardly surprising officers of planning department are not against.

Now the ball probably will be in the court of elected members. Hope they won't start playing games for pleasing some anti students prejudiced people and will keep in mind that at one time same people may have expressed similar bigotry when some of them or their colleagues may have been students.

Nice conspiracy theory george h. We all know how you love your slightly hysterical anti Labour rants, but rather destroyed by your own post.

You name Cllr Barns-Andrews (Labour) as making a statement supporting the provision of student housing in the area. But then tell us that all the Bevois Cllrs (him being one of them) are involved in some kind of plot against it involving a group of slum landlords.

Well which is it? it can't be both.

You also say you have evidence of the Labour party being involved in illegal activities. A serious charge. If true, take it to the Police. If not then stop Lying.

For the record I agree that the opposition is being orchestrated by slum landlords who don't want decent housing to compete with their hovels.

How will the students manage when the new housing benefit rules come into force?

Apart from the Labour rant this is the most sensible, thought out and level headed set of comments I have EVER seen on a Daily Echo story, I'm stunned!

HillsidePaul wrote:
Nice conspiracy theory george h. We all know how you love your slightly hysterical anti Labour rants, but rather destroyed by your own post.

You name Cllr Barns-Andrews (Labour) as making a statement supporting the provision of student housing in the area. But then tell us that all the Bevois Cllrs (him being one of them) are involved in some kind of plot against it involving a group of slum landlords.

Well which is it? it can't be both.

You also say you have evidence of the Labour party being involved in illegal activities. A serious charge. If true, take it to the Police. If not then stop Lying.

For the record I agree that the opposition is being orchestrated by slum landlords who don't want decent housing to compete with their hovels.

I didn't use the word plot Paul, and of course Labour councillors in Bevois are free to support a bunch of deceitful, lying, slum landlords if they choose to. That's the very nature of a free society. Hypocritical perhaps; but then they are free to chase votes wherever votes are to be found, and developers don't have votes.

As for proof, - well Paul that's actually the easy bit, because after plundering the attendance register with its deliberate miss-spelling, I received through the post a letter from the Labour Party (complete with the same mispelt name) asking for my support. That’s proof enough for most reasonable people, although I can understand it getting up the nose of unthinking Labour hacks.

Furthermore Paul, had you given it just a few seconds thought, you might just possibly have realised that the police don't have authority to investigate breaches of data protection laws. That's a task for the Information Commissioner. Not terribly clever are you Paul? Sadly, that's the norm for Labour Party hacks.

Remember them Paul? The Labour Party? The ones who bankrupted the UK. The ones who took us into two illegal wars? The ones responsible of hundreds of thousands of Iraqi dead. Was that just another of your "plots" Paul?

Rob444 wrote:
How will the students manage when the new housing benefit rules come into force?

I may be wrong about this, but can students in full-time education claim housing benefit?

I don't believe they can.

AdamSFC wrote:

george h wrote:

HillsidePaul wrote:
Nice conspiracy theory george h. We all know how you love your slightly hysterical anti Labour rants, but rather destroyed by your own post.

You name Cllr Barns-Andrews (Labour) as making a statement supporting the provision of student housing in the area. But then tell us that all the Bevois Cllrs (him being one of them) are involved in some kind of plot against it involving a group of slum landlords.

Well which is it? it can't be both.

You also say you have evidence of the Labour party being involved in illegal activities. A serious charge. If true, take it to the Police. If not then stop Lying.

For the record I agree that the opposition is being orchestrated by slum landlords who don't want decent housing to compete with their hovels.

I didn't use the word plot Paul, and of course Labour councillors in Bevois are free to support a bunch of deceitful, lying, slum landlords if they choose to. That's the very nature of a free society. Hypocritical perhaps; but then they are free to chase votes wherever votes are to be found, and developers don't have votes.

As for proof, - well Paul that's actually the easy bit, because after plundering the attendance register with its deliberate miss-spelling, I received through the post a letter from the Labour Party (complete with the same mispelt name) asking for my support. That’s proof enough for most reasonable people, although I can understand it getting up the nose of unthinking Labour hacks.

Furthermore Paul, had you given it just a few seconds thought, you might just possibly have realised that the police don't have authority to investigate breaches of data protection laws. That's a task for the Information Commissioner. Not terribly clever are you Paul? Sadly, that's the norm for Labour Party hacks.

Remember them Paul? The Labour Party? The ones who bankrupted the UK. The ones who took us into two illegal wars? The ones responsible of hundreds of thousands of Iraqi dead. Was that just another of your "plots" Paul?

You do sound like a lunatic mate, maybe try and be more erudite and diplomatic before going on a rant. Labour might not be perfect, far from it, but I would trust Labour more than the Tories every time.

Not a rant at all. And I'm rather choosy about who are my "mates", mate.

And on the subject of rants, your use of disrespectful insults such as "lunatic" clearly labels yourself as not a very nice person. And one that breaks the site's rules when it suits him.

These are the rules. I suggest you read them before you post again.

" Please be fair, courteous and respectful to the views of others so we can build a vibrant community in a safe online environment. You are personal liable for your comments and action will be taken against anyone who offends, ridicules or posts malicious and damaging views. "

Few things in life are certain. However, on Tuesday next, Planning Committee will give their approval to the Orion's Point student residence development. That's a certainty, and a wholly good thing.

All the ranting by supporters of the slum landlords who oppose the scheme will count for nothing, because the application has to be judged against planning law. Councillors who support the anti-campaigners know that perfectly well, but string them along because they want their votes.

Supporters of the Labour Party like myself should really be asking the question - why is my party supporting profiteering slum landlords.

Is it because of their "ethnicity"? and the sheer numbers of them, their famillies and friends concentrated into a small area.

Someone mentioned the Tories. The development is on the boundary of Bargate ward and the lone Tory councillor there has sensibly gone to ground. No one has seen her in months. She may be a Tory, - but she isn't backing slum landlords

If anyone wants to make their point against slum landlords, and it certainly needs making, there is an opportunity to hear about and discuss the Council's proposals to limit the spread of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) tomorrow, Tuesday, at Central Baptist Church, Devonshire Rd, Polygon. I think the session is open from the afternoon but there is definitely a presentation at 1830. Expect the landlords and in some cases the smooth representatives who they can afford to pay to talk about the contribution they make to meeting housing need, whilst overlooking the combination of inflated house prices and general neighbourhood blight that deters families and benefits only the landlords who can then buy another house when it comes on the market etc etc. The Council at last have some plans to limit this. It's too little too late of course, but it's worth supporting and encouraging the Council to look after the needs of local residents rather than those of absentee landlords, many of whom don't even live in the City but of course will use any free offers for insulation etc while seeking to avoid any obligations to pay rates wherever possible.

The place is already a sh1thole, so a student tower block can only be a good thing.

Rob444 wrote:
How will the students manage when the new housing benefit rules come into force?

What? Students aren't eligible for housing benefit as they receive a loan, but are exempt from council tax.