Dialogue over Acton

The Union has replied to the College’s response to the Against Acton campaign, started earlier this year following the unveiling of plans by the College to construct an 856 bed hall of residence in North Acton. Paul Beaumont, Union President, sent a list of requests to the College, which went to the Management Board in March.

The North Acton campaign mustered large amounts of support from the student body at Imperial College, a body that has in the past been accused of not using their voice. A petition organized by the Union received 709 signatures, and a separate petition from the Garden Hall Committee got to 1,461.

Union’s Requests

Paul’s letter to the College comprised of five key requests to resolve the complaints of the student body. First and foremost of these was to push for keeping Garden Hall, one of the cheapest and the most oversubscribed Hall of Residence.

Alongside this, Beaumont argued for retaining Evelyn Gardens, a grouping of five halls at Evelyn Gardens, near Gloucester Road. The halls in Evelyn Gardens are owned by the Wellcome Trust, and are leased to the College, though this leaseis expiring within the next few decades.

It was also of concern that the Accommodation Survey, held in 2011, may contain “discrepancies” when compared to the Accommodation Strategy. According to an article on the Union’s website (now unavailable), data from the survey suggested student’s want accommodation close to College, at a price similar to that charged by Evelyn Gardens.

Building on from this, Beaumont argued that the North Acton project should have had proper consultation with stakeholders before the plans were approved. In his requests, he asked that such consultations take place in the future, and additionally a consultation should be held now with regards to the North Acton project.

Finally, worried by lack of concrete promises for wardening provision at the new halls, a request was made that the wardening ratios are maintained. In 2011 Felix reported on a reduction in wardening provision at Eastside halls, with these rooms since converted to ‘Deluxe’ accommodation – with a £250 per week price to match.

College respond

The Union received a one-and-a-half page statement from the College’s management board, the board that authorised the purchase of the land in North Acton. Their response covered the majority of the points from.

The first part of their report covered their current view. They were keen to stress the increase in bed spaces at the newly refurbished Wilson House, due to open ready for the next cohort of students, as well as an upcoming increase in bed spaces at Beit Hall, following the loss of East Basement. One significant point was noting that Garden Hall will close next year, due to “needing refurbishment”. It is unclear as to whether College intend to refurbish the property over the next year, however it has disappeared from the Accommodation website. It’s sister hall, Weeks, remains, alongside the temporary Paragon and Xenia.

Additionally, it was noted that Evelyn Gardens would require some work in the near future. Fisher Hall has been mooted for closure in the past due to the state of the premises, though the impending expiry of the lease caused College to file a joint planning application with the Wellcome Trust to convert it into a nursing home.

College has stressed that they will continue to look for cheap, close accommodation. As part of this, they are considering the future of Garden Hall, Evelyn Gardens, and Pembridge Hall, which hasn’t been mentioned before. Pembridge currently houses 96 students, which College feel is too small for the medium term, and the hall may require extension.

Regarding Evelyn Gardens and Garden Hall, College stated that structural inspection is needed of the halls, which is intended to take place following the end of the academic year. A consultation has been promised on the findings by the end of 2013. Additionally, it is likely that some potential proposals cannot be circulated with the student body due to commercial sensitivity, however Beaumont noted that this likely means that Evelyn Gardens lease will be looked into.

Finally, it was noted that College do not make a profit from accommodation charges, pointing out the cost of building maintenance and property values.

The way forward with North Acton

Being the item of complaint with the student body, a specific mention was made of the North Acton development. College have promised that wardening provision will be made at the new hall, in addition to the receptionist service. It was not mentioned, however, how many wardens there would be in the new hall.

Additionally, the development will go ahead, due to a contract being signed with property developer Berkeley First. However, consultations will be undertaken with students, wardens, and other members of College staff to ensure that the correct steps are made on the way forward.

Union Council step in

In a busy meeting of the Union Council on April 30th, one of the main agenda items was a response to the College’s document. In the paper, also by Beaumont, he listed a number of points for the Council to improve. They included:

• The Union should contribute positively to the new halls, regardless of the outcome to Evelyn Gardens and Garden Hall, and agree a consultation procedure with the College as part of this.

• That College should clarify what they mean by being ‘committed to providing a range of accommodation options at a variety of prices, which reflect quality and location’.

• That the Union President should be included in commercially sensitive negotiations.

• And that College should clarify the refurbishment process of Garden Hall, and what consultations may be part of this.

At the meeting, Beaumont expressed how unusual it was to get a response from College’s Management Board, and how much of a good sign this was. In addition to this, it was confirmed that Simon Harding-Roots, Chief Operations Officer of Imperial College, was currently engaging with the Wellcome Trust to investigate the lease issue of Evelyn Gardens,

Finally, in what appears to be the beginnings of a formal consultation process, a new working group has been established by College to establish what use is made of space within the new Acton development, amongst other matters. This working group consists of people including sabbatical officers, members of College, and a cross section of students at Imperial College, covering those from all backgrounds and natures. The fact that such a working group exists is of huge promise to many at Imperial, possibly showing a gradual move towards a full consultation.

Editorial