Queen's Face Huge Rent Hike
Queen’s students will face massive rent rises from October if new proposals are accepted by the College’s governing body. JCR president Rebecca Patton this week emailed the JCR giving details of the rise of 9.4 per cent above Oxford’s Van Norden inflation rate, which is yet to be set for the forthcoming academic year. The increase is potentially around 15 per cent. The latest rent hike is the third in as many years.
The proposal states: “The Queen’s College is committed to reducing its subsidies in respect of the cost of providing accommodation to Junior members”. The proposals aim to meet this target by bringing rents in line with the actual cost of running accommodation. Queen’s Estates Bursar Peter Robbins explained the proposals to the student body at a JCR meeting yesterday. Students at the college are angry at the scale of the increases.
First year Fleur Macdonald told The Oxford Student: “I don’t think we get enough for what we pay for. The rooms in some of the annexes are disgusting.” The college are keen to emphasise they will be doing everything possible to avoid disadvantaging poorer students. They have suggested increasing financial aid to those who pay reduced fees but do not qualify for university bursaries.
Patton said: “I am not sure what the JCR response will be as yet, but I cannot see how… we can present any ‘response’ that will lead them to change their minds.” Robbins, who is responsible for proposing rent levels, emphasised the rise was not yet definite. “We consult with the JCR and MCR before any proposal goes to the Governing Body, and this is the stage that we currently are at.
“As the Governing Body have yet to discuss the proposals for next year's rent, it really would be premature for me to comment further at this stage.”
28th Apr 2005