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The Noise Pages are actually making it harder for the uni to punish students, documents reveal

Students feel they are being ‘harassed’


The Noise Pages has complicated disciplinary meetings for students who have experienced complaints about their parties being posted on the website, documents from a Community Liaison Group Meeting show.

At the meeting, Joni Lloyd expressed how some students see themselves as "victims" and "having been harassed".

Students are also nervous about their addresses being posted online, as seen in the case of one student house which was burgled after the address was posted on The Noise Pages.

Lloyd said: "This creates a conflict of interest because as a member of University staff, it is also my role to support vulnerable students."

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Yet, the public nature of the complaints on The Noise Pages also works in the favour of students defending their position at disciplinary meetings.

Lloyd added: "Students attending meetings with me have already seen the complaints I am going to raise with them and are well prepared.

"This all contributes to complicate and devalue the disciplinary procedure."

Feedback from the University's new Anti-Social Behaviour Impact Awareness sessions for those who are subjected to noise complaints has revealed that 42 per cent of students believed they 'knew it [the information] already'.

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One attendee wrote: "I think it was interesting to hear everyone's perspective on issues raised and it was really informative hearing about potential health issues and consequences but it didn't help me in how I'm going to behave from this point forwards."

Another attendee of very few words added: "Probably organise parties better. Not necessarily stop having them."

A University of Bristol spokesperson said: "The majority of our students live happily in the community. We take pride in the value our students bring to the community, but also recognise the impact of high density student populations in local residential areas, especially if they make noise during the night.

"This is an issue we have always taken seriously and we have taken such actions as we are able to, legally, to manage the issue of student noise given that students are private citizens with the same rights as other residents.

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"The University voiced concerns to the owner of the Noise Pages website from the outset particularly around the impact on students’ safety by publishing house numbers (which have now been removed – a move we welcome).

"We feel this approach does little to encourage community cohesion and we would prefer if concerns or complaints could be raised with us directly.

"We encourage students to get to know their new neighbours and participate in community events and activities in their neighbourhood and several events have taken place with local community groups since the start of this academic year. Many local residents; groups and individuals, make a real effort to welcome and get to know new students at the start of each academic year."

Please note: None of the images relate to any of the house parties or burglaries mentioned in this article.