Students at City University have gathered under the guidance of CULSU President Rima Amin to campaign for their voice to be heard against Pure City, the new (uncomplete) university halls at City University.
The petition, which still needs 247 signatures in order to pass, wants Pure to offer City students living in the building the right to terminate their contract as they prefer; to organise a compensation to all those living in the structure who have encountered problems, to issue an apology and to assure that all students will be compensated before January exams.
The Operations Manager at Pure Student Living, David Cocker, commented on the petition on the 4th December saying that he believes students should be compensated: “Pure City was not complete in time for students and the disruption faced has placed a strain on them. This has potentially impacted on their studies and confidence in Pure. They are paying for something they didn’t receive.”
City’s new a new accomodation block was acquired previously this year for £35m and opened to the public in September. However the structure, situated in Clerkenwell – just five minutes away from university – wasn’t ready when hundreds of students arrived last September and are still living between unfinished rooms and noisy construction sites.
On the first day of check-in residents had to wait up to five hours before they could access their rooms, which were mainly unfurnished, cold and in temporary conditions. Noise has also been a huge issue for students, and drilling continued up to November every working day from 10am to 5pm.
Rooms at Pure City range from £209 to £535 a week, and many students are frustrated about their current situation. Pujita Bhatia, who lives in the hall, said about her accomodation: “Horrible experience so far, constant works going on which not only has ruined my sleeping pattern but doesn’t even let me study in peace! I live on the lower ground floor and have had workers working outside my window just stand there and stare right into my room, I’m a girl living alone and I don’t feel safe even in my own room anymore!”
Campaign for better student accomodation and sign the petition now.