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Here is the Nottinghamian from Wednesday, February 22.
Hello,
Today's edition of the Nottinghamian takes a look at how the city council and universities are trying to strike a balance in regards to student accommodation. Plans have been devised on how to stop areas of the city being "dominated by students".
We will also take a look at the Home Office planning to house asylum seekers in a hotel near East Midlands Airport. Plus a new mural has appeared by the River Trent ahead of a business opening.
Striking a balance
Nottingham City Council wants to avoid certain areas of Nottingham being "dominated by students" as more than 10,000 new bed spaces are set to be built in the coming years. It is estimated that by the academic year of September 2025, there will be around 66,000 students studying at either Nottingham Trent University or the University of Nottingham, up from 61,000 last year.
Last year, city council figures show there were around 50,000 students needing accommodation in Nottingham, a figure set to rise to 56,582 by September 2025. Both universities and the city council say they want to spread out Nottingham's student population to prevent areas from being "overpowered" by them.
The 'Student Living Strategy' sets out the approach that will be taken between now and 2028 on the building of student accommodation and how students will be integrated into Nottingham. It means 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. Councillor Toby Neal, Nottingham City Council's Portfolio Holder for Housing, said: "We recognise the value of neighbourhoods, they can't be overpowered by one group of people. [Places] like Dunkirk or Lenton for a very long time have been 70% students, that's not healthy for a neighbourhood. That's not to say that students shouldn't be living there, but there should be choices and balance." Read more here.
Housing asylum seekers
The Home Office is taking over a hotel near the Nottinghamshire border to house asylum seekers. The Best Western Yew Lodge Hotel, Kegworth, has confirmed that they will be closing to the public and has informed guests that their reservations and health club memberships have been cancelled.
The hotel will be temporarily closing so that the Home Office can use the hotel, however no end-date has been confirmed. Local residents first reported the closure, as they use the hotel for the Reeds Health Club and Spa. Members were told at short notice that their memberships had been cancelled, reports Leicestershire Live.
Other businesses based in the hotel, such as Marco Pierre White's New York Italian restaurant and the Houdini Escape Rooms, will also be closed so that the Home Office can have exclusive use of the building. Read more here.
Weather and trivia
Weather: Plenty of sunshine around Thursday but one or two showers are possible in the morning. Feeling breezy, but winds gradually easing during the afternoon. Frost developing overnight Maximum temperature 9 °C.
UV: Low
Further reading: Community outraged at 'disgraceful' vandalism of beloved tree in Nottingham park
Trivia question: How old was Clifton-born Jake Bugg when he reached number one with his self-titled debut album?
The answer to today's trivia question is at the bottom of the newsletter.
Mural
A new mural has appeared near the River Trent. A large nature scene has been painted near the Nottingham side of Lady Bay Bridge by the company Mock Rock.
The mural has replaced a beige side of a building, and will soon be completed with ultra realistic rock faces ahead of the Arches Adventure Base opening in May. They will offer bouldering, kayaking and paddle boarding. Director of the company, Ben Hunter, said: "We had this beige building behind and we got permission from the owner to paint the wall.
"With the adventure centre underneath, it will just lift the whole area. It's highly experimental but the support has been amazing, and we have just gone for it." Mock Rock has recently bought the former Nottingham Forest ticket office which will be converted into a cafe. Ben added: "We are really going to make this a place to help young people get into climbing and adventure sports."
That's all for today
Thank you for joining me for today's edition of The Nottinghamian. I hope you enjoyed it, and if you did why not sign up to receive it directly in your inbox every weekday by clicking here.
The answer to today's trivia question, how old was Clifton-born Jake Bugg when he reached number one with his self-titled debut album, is 18.
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