New student accommodation due to be built in Gillian House on Farranlea Road in Cork has experienced some resistance from local residents, who fear that the development will lead to “student gangs” in the area.
Locals have expressed concern to councillors, saying that that locating student in a residential area is not appropriate and that it will likely lead to anti-social behaviour and noise pollution.
As Dublin is currently experiencing a housing crisis, relocation to cities such as Cork and Limerick City is a viable option for many people including students.
It may also be a consideration for students when making a CAO application to specific universities, as the price of accommodation in Dublin for both students and the rest of the general population is considerably higher than the rest of the country.
Dublin City University offers on-campus accommodation facilities and works closely with neighbouring off-campus private accommodation Shanowen, Gateway and Hazelwood.
Shanowen student accommodation is located in a residential area similar to the location of the Cork development.
Irish Labour Party Councillor for Ballymun, Andrew Montague, said that although student disruption in the area is not an issue now, it was a serious issue for residents roughly ten years ago.
“There were a lot of problems with the Shanowen development ten years ago. Students were coming home knocking over bins, there might be thirty people coming back at different times, talking loudly, not even misbehaving but the constant stream from social lives was making it miserable for a lot of the residents”.
Montague says that today, residents are “much less annoyed than they used to be” as he has not received as many complaints in recent years.
He believes that the university is responsible for this, as DCU encourages students to be mindful of neighbours, especially those living in student accommodation.
Location seems to be key, however, as Gateway student village which is situated further away from the university, in isolation to neighbouring houses has not caused complaints. “I’ve never had a problem with Gateway,” Montague said “you don’t have to walk past anybody”.
Rachael Martin
Image credit: Mark Carroll