Residents are planning to limit the number of students in Headingley

They’ve drawn up a ‘Neighbourhood Plan’ about it

accomodation beckett carnegie forum headingley housing lbsu leeds leeds met LUU neighbourhood plan population steering group students tenants transience uni

Residents in Headingley are backing a plan to limit the amount of students in the area.

A “Neighbourhood Plan” published by the Headingley Neighbourhood Forum details the need for “a friendly, clean, family-friendly neighbourhood that has a mix of older, younger and student populations.”

The Forum warns these communities “can be undermined by a high level of transience”, such as the one-year tenancies most students living in the area take on.

The Orwellian proposal therefore intends to block developments of student accommodation in many areas of Headingley where the transient population is already at a level of 20 per cent.

The Neighbourhood Plan says: “Development proposals for purpose built student accommodation will be controlled to avoid excessive concentrations of student accommodation… which would undermine the balance and wellbeing of communities.”

The draft warns: “Headingley has its strengths as ‘Leeds Number One Suburb’. But it also has its weaknesses, arising from ‘people passing through’.”

It goes onto lament how “the process of studentification turned Headingley into predominantly a higher-education dormitory.”

It continues: “The student housing market is intrinsically volatile – this offers opportunities for a radical restructuring of the Area’s demographics. The resilience of its residents provide resource to draw on.”

Forum secretary Richard Tyler said: “The Steering Group warmly invites all individuals and groups who live or work or study in Headingley neighbourhood area to comment on the draft.”

The next formal meeting of the group is yet to be arranged.