Lenton residents have given their thoughts on a plan to stop certain areas of Nottingham being dominated by university students. Nottingham City Council has worked with both Nottingham Trent University and the University of Nottingham to produce a 'Student Living Strategy'.
The key way in which the universities and the council are hoping to provide more balance is by getting more students living in purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA), rather than living in Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs). The council stresses that HMOs will not "disappear", but the authority hopes that more of these properties can be converted back into family housing over the coming years.
The city council said Lenton has been made up of 70 percent students for a "very long time". Jackie Bentley, who has lived in her house in Wollaton Road for more than 40 years, said she thought the plan was a good idea.
Has your business been affected by the cost of living crisis? Tell us here
"Students have been a pain in the past," the 76-year-old retired auxiliary nurse told Nottinghamshire Live. "I had some really bad issues where I've had to contact the council and university.
"There's been bad noise and blocked drains because they'd pour anything down the sink. Luckily there's a nice family living next door at the moment. I've lived here since 1981, it has always been a nice neighbourhood.
"I know they have got to have somewhere to live, my grandson is a student. It's definitely a good idea, that's what's needed. Students only move on after a year or three."
A student who lives a few doors down the road said he saw the benefits, but worried it would lessen the chance of students having the "house experience". "I don't know, I feel like the student house experience is better," said the 21-year-old fourth-year student.
"I lived in halls in first year. Lenton's very popular, even if more accommodation was built in the area I still think I'd choose this house. "Halls feel like a different system, I think I prefer the house experience. It's full of students, it's kind of been monopolised by students."
Kevin Wharmby, a long-time Lenton resident, said: "I haven't got a problem with them, they have got to have somewhere to stay while they study. I think it's okay as it is."
Leon, a student at the University of Nottingham, added: "It might be cheaper in student accommodation with prices going up. But you do miss out on having your own house."
Speaking previously, councillor Toby Neal, Nottingham City Council's Portfolio Holder for Housing, said: "A huge number of students come to Nottingham, they make the choice to come here and learn. Significant numbers remain and I'm exactly one of those, I'm a graduate of Trent and I stayed here 30 years ago.
"The value of students is very high, they add to the local economy whilst they're studying but they also get the jobs that we need. It's something that we should be encouraging, but what we want to do is address the concerns that some neighbourhoods have had around this."
Read next:
Woman died at scene of crash in Nottinghamshire after driver 'did not see' car in front
16-year-old knocked man unconscious in defence of autistic boy under attack
First image of Harvey Borrington, 3, who was killed by his stepmother
'Selfish' gang of graffiti vandals branded 'idiots' after defacing trains
Cannabis user for 30 years handed harsher penalty after repeated fines
