UEA have no plans to make walkways safer after fall two weeks ago

There are no prospective plans to protect more students from falling off walkways on campus. 

Despite a recent incident when a student plunged off the walkway above the LCR, UEA has decided it is unnecessary to install further safety measures.

A university spokesperson said: “University records dating back to 2003, show the incident as the only recorded instance of anyone falling or jumping from the University’s walkways.

“The University takes the safety of all staff, students and visitors very seriously. All walkways have edge protection as a safety measure to prevent falls.”

There is no indication of any additional safety devices to be implemented. Although the university claims only one person has fallen from the walkway in the past 12 years, they don’t seem to think it’s one too many.

The SU has subsequently been forced to take matters into their own hands, especially as the recent student’s fall happened after an LCR night.

A spokesperson said: “We are actively looking at any additional measures that would make sense to put in place around the Venue to ensure students and guests are safe.”

Despite the university claiming that “all walkways have protection”, earlier today students of Norfolk Terrace were sent an email from the accommodation office.

It said: “Starting tomorrow work will begin to put a handrail along the walkway of Norfolk Terrace.” Clearly then, not all walkways have protection.

Although this is a promising step, a handrail is not even nearly sufficient given the height of the walkways from the ground, considering there is already a handrail along the walkway where the student fell.

As well as issues with walkways, there are also safety concerns regarding the ziggurat roofs. Although the roofs are out of bounds for students, there is no barrier in lace preventing students from clambering on top of them.

Second year English Literature student Bobbie Edsor described an incident when her flatmate left the LCR early one night to head back to Norfolk Terrace.

She said: “When we got home about half an hour later than him, he’d fallen down like two or three floors of the window-side of Norfolk terrace”.

Norfolk Terrace roofs

When told that the University were still not going to do anything to install additional security, Bobbie was shocked.

“I can’t believe the uni aren’t going to do anything. It’s obviously such a major risk, especially on a uni campus when there’s constantly drunk people wandering around, and that’s a responsibility they should accept.”