Property Developers Leave Students in the Lurch
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Issue1005.02.16 thegryphon.co.uk News p.5 TheGryphon speaks to University SecretaryRoger Gairabout PREVENTand tuitionfees Features p.10 Hannah Macaulayexplores the possible growth of veganism in 2016 [Image: 20th Century Fox] S [Image: AndyWhitton] Sport TheGryphon explores theincreasing In TheMiddle catchupwith p.19 Allthe lastestnewsand resultsfrom •similaritiesbetween sciencefiction •MysteryJetsbefore theirrecentgig thereturnofBUCSfixtures and reality p.17 at HeadrowHouse ITMp.4 [Image: Jack Roberts] Property Developers Leave Students In TheLurch accommodation until December 2015, parents were refusing to paythe fees for Jessica Murray and were informed that the halls would the first term of residence, or were only News Editor have abuilding certificate at this point. paying apercentage of the full rent owed. Property development companyPinna- According to the parent, whowishes to Agroup of Leeds University students cle Alliance have faced critcism for fail- remain anonymous, the ground floor of have also contacted TheGryphon after ing to complete building work on time, the accommodation wasstill completely they were forced in to finding new accom- leaving manystudents without accommo- unfinished and open to the elements, with modation in September due to their flat on dation or living in half finished develop- security guards patrolling the develop- 75 Hyde Park Road still being under de- ments. ment at all times to prevent break ins. velopment by Pinnacle. Pinnacle began development of Asquith Theparent also stated that the building Thethree students, whodonot wish to House and Austin Hall, twopurpose built had afire safety certificate for habitation be named, signed for the three-bedroom private halls of residence situated next to on the floors above the ground floor,but flat in March 2015, and they state that at Leodis, in January 2015, and students who afull building certificate had not been the end of July they were informed that the signed contracts were to move in Septem- signed off. property had been sold to Pinnacle, and ber 2015. Speaking to TheGryphon the parent some minor refurbishments including new However,according to the parent of a said, “If USL and Pinnacle had been up furniture and painting wastobecarried student tenant, aweek before the start of front with parents in September 2015 or out by the developers. term students were informed by Urban earlier,then alternative accommodation Theflat wasnot readyintime for the Student Life (USL), the letting agents for could have been found; we would have tenants’ planned move in date on 1st Sep- the property whowere not responsible for had achoice. tember,and one tenant wasforced in to the building work, that the accommoda- “But ever since September 2015, we sleeping on afriend’ssofa until Pinnacle tion wouldn’tbereadyfor afew weeks have been let down by the developers, organised hotel accommodation for the and they would be provided with hotel time and time again, and it has become girls. accommodation in the meantime. an experience that is hugely regrettable.” Students were unable to move in to their He went on to state that anumber of Continuedonpage3>>>>> 2 News It’s TimeToTalk I’mwriting to youall on 4thFebruary help.But youdo. Ijustwant youtoremember–you Contents –TimetoTalkday.Onthisday,weare Mental health is aspectrum though, deservetobehappy.You deserve 3-7 News encouraged to talk aboutour mental andit’snot eitherall fineorall terrible. to treatyourselfwell. And, as a health, to have aconversation.Mental We canhavebad days,weeks,months, shamelessworkplug, theUnion 8-11 Features health shouldn’tbeataboo, butthe andgooddays, weeks, andmonths! areputting on theirfirstwellbeing sadtruthisthatitstill is.Westill have So what canwedotomakesurewe festival called ‘MindYourself’ on 12 Society aproblem as asociety though –not havemoreofthe good?Justoverayear February16th. There’llbecooking only talkingabout it,but dealingwith ago, Iwas having abit of ashittime. classes,workshops,freehaircutsand 13-15 Views it.For some people,talking about it is Notthe worst, butyou know,itwasn’t massages.Whether youwant to come away of dealingwithit. Butwhatelse allsunshineand rainbows.SoIstarted checkitout or not,justrememberto 16-17 Science canwedobut talk? to thinkabout howItreatedmyself. do thethings that make youhappy. Acrucialthing to remember is that IrealisedIneededtodomore things 19-24 Sport youdeserve help.You areentitled formyself. To be honest,Ialways to help.Wecan be down foralong thoughtof“wellbeing” as some kind Credits time,hopingwe’ll just snap out of it, of patronising, unhelpfulclap-trap. FreyaGovus Editor-In-Chief ~Benjamin Cook or thinking that ourproblem isn’tbig ButIgavethings ago. Honestly,I’m enough.But reallyifyou’refeeling not abeaconofhealth-Istill don’t LUUWelfare Officer Associate Editor ~Greg Whitaker bad–that’s abig enough reason to exercise,Istill eattoo much pizza, I gethelp. Remember,there’s loadsof still smoketen aday,but I’mbetter. News ~Elli Pugh,JessMurray, ShamimaNoor, SamRobinson help out therefor students –whether Ilistentomyselfmore –ifIwantto you’re experiencingill mental health be on my own, I’ll cancel plans. If I Society -Avigail Kohn directly,orsupportingafriend. We gethomefrom work at half sevenafter Features ~Stephanie have theStudent AdviceCentreinthe arubbishday,I’llmakesureIcook Uwalaka,Molly Walker-Sharp Union, student-ledsupport groups,the myself somethingnicefor dinner.If Views -RachelKing, Freya Counselling service, thementalhealth Ineedsometimetothink, Idrawin Parr advisors,there’sthe LeedsStudent my notebookand putarecordon. If Science ~Sam McMaster, Medical Practice (withanew team Ifeelstressedorsad,I’llget my guitar DougiePhillips of mentalhealthworkers), andIAPT out andplayasong(even though I’m Sport ~AlexBowmer, James (Improving Access to Psychological pretty badatit).Thismight sound Candler, NancyGillen,Fiona Tomas Therapies).Accessing supportcan be corny, or like some worn out words hard,and if you’re in abad placeit from alifeadvicecolumn, andI’m Photography ~JackRoberts Roberts canbehardtothinkthatyou deserve sorryifitseems like this. WIN amonth’s rent for youand your housemates* Whether you’researching foraproperty,renting a room in ahouse with other students or graduatesor buying anew home, Move Me In gives youacustomised set of tasks tailored to your search or move.You can add photos of the potential property,sharetasks with housematesand create your ownlistofjobs to complete. Sign up to Move Me In todayfor your chanceto WIN amonth’s rent foryou and your housemates.* Visit www.move-me.in *Terms and conditions apply Endsleigh InsuranceServices Limited is authorised and regulatedbythe Financial Conduct Authority.This can be checked on the Financial Services Registerbyvisiting their websiteat www.fca.org.uk/register Endsleigh InsuranceServices Limited. CompanyNo. 856706registeredinEngland at Shurdington Road, Cheltenham Spa, GloucestershireGL51 4UE. News 3 Rape Advocate’sMeet-up in Students Leeds Cancelled Affected Elli Pugh News Editor By Building Plans for an international meet up dayorganised by “pick-up” artist Roosh Vhavebeen cancelled oversafety fears. The‘neomasculine’ group Return of Kings had planned Work Delays to gather in eight major UK cities on 6th February to mark their first ‘International Meet Up Day’, with meet ups >>>>>Continued from page 1 organised in 42 countries. However,Roosh Vhas since called off the events, citing “the safety of privacy”ofthe men due to attend and that “While Ican’tstop men who On 10th September,the revised moving in date, want to continue meeting in private groups, there will be the girls were informed that their three-bedroom no official Return Of Kings meetups.” flat wasbeing converted in to afour-bedroom Organiser Roosh V, whofounded the Return of Kings property,with the open plan living area being cut website in October last year,has been widely criticised in half. for his sexist and homophobic views in the last decade. As aconcession, Pinnacle offered to temporarily He had alreadymovedanumber of the meet ups to se- furnish the fourth bedroom as aliving room and cret locations, stating “This meet-up wasnever intended [image:www.rooshv.com] only charge rent for three tenants, but the prop- as aconfrontation with unattractive women and their en- women should be legal if carried out on private property, erty still wouldn’tbereadyuntil late September, ablers, I’m moving to save as manyofthese meetups as I saying “less women will be raped because they won’tvol- leading the girls to decide to find accommodation can before Saturdaysothat men can still meet in private untarily drug themselves with booze and followastrange elsewhere. awayfrom aloud, obnoxious, dishonest, and potentially man into abedroom, and less men will be unfairly jailed Speaking to TheGryphon,one of the tenants said violent mob.” for what wasanything but amaniacal alley rape”. of their experience “Wehavefelt quite alone in Protests had been organised at several of the organised Emma Healey,Women’sLiberation Coordinator for all this, being students with no prior experience of meet up points, and over 40,000 people signed apeti- LUU, and aPolitics student at the University of Leeds, this kind. tion, created by Katie Pruszynski, to lobbythe police and wrote an article about the meet ups for TheTab and has “Weturned to Unipol, LUU Student Advice Cen- Home Office to ban the events. had her details have been published in what has been tre ad LCC Housing Options team, none of which As apro-rape self-styled