500 University of Lincoln students forced out of their accommodation due to fire safety concerns
Students need to leave The Gateway by the end of next week
Around 500 University of Lincoln students are being made to move out of their accommodation at The Gateway after multiple fire safety issues were highlighted during an assessment of the building.
A Lincolnshire Fire & Rescue fire safety assessment, recieved on 10th October, showed that the building had numerous issues that made it unsafe for students in the case of a fire. The main concerns being around stopping fires if they reach the stairwells, reports The Lincolnite.
The repairs are expected to take “several months” to be completed but the property owner hasn’t scheduled them yet. This could mean that students won’t be able to move back in at all during the academic year.
The University of Lincoln informed students living at The Gateway by email telling them that they have until the end of next week to move out and find new accommodation until their rooms are deemed safe to live in.
The university has promised to provide full support in helping its students find a new place to live for the rest of the year. This will include a £500 one-off payment as compensation for the disruption caused, students being allowed to end their tenancy agreements early and the university has also offered to arrange removals at no extra cost for any student that needs help moving into their new accommodation.
The university is not guaranteeing that similar accommodation will be given as there are no or limited spaces available at most halls, but students will be able to pay less if their rent is cheaper at their newly agreed house or flats.
In the email sent to students, the university said: “Student safety is our utmost priority and, while other mitigation measures can manage fire safety risks in the interim, having consulted with Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue, we have concluded it is in the best interests of our students to vacate the building while we liaise with the building owner to make the necessary improvements.
“We understand this may be unsettling news for you and your friends or family. Accommodation Services will be working with the University’s Student Support Centre, including the ResLife team who will be able to provide specialist support, as well as supporting with practicalities of relocating.”
The Gateway is a popular student accommodation with 519 rooms. It is five minutes away from the city centre and just one minute from the University’s Brayford Pool Campus. It is owned by private landlords Jackson Living, who completed the £28 million project in September 2015 but is leased by the university.
The Tab Lincoln has contacted Jackson Living for comment.
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