Manchester Students Oppose the Gamecock Development

JavaScript isn't enabled in your browser, so this file can't be opened. Enable and reload.

Dear Planning and Highways Committee of Manchester City Council,

We are writing to you as students living in Manchester in support of blocking the plan for a 197-unit student accommodation building on the site of Gamecock pub in Hulme. We believe that the negative impact on the local community would far outweigh the need for student housing - making the area more cramped and blocking light in communal spaces.

Furthermore, the current poor quality of student housing across the city must be addressed before new buildings are constructed. The plan for this tower has already been rejected three times. As members of the community, we urge you to take into account our formal disapproval of this new purpose-built accommodation.

Previous rejections of the proposal for a new student tower-block cited a failure to demonstrate sufficient demand for student accommodation, and an intrusive impact on the street view and local buildings. This block would be built on a busy intersection, and the additional traffic caused by the density of students living there would cause excess disruption. Additionally, only three disabled parking spaces have been proposed, which does not seem adequate for 197 students. This block would provoke considerable disturbance to local residents who have lived in the area for many years, compared to students who would only occupy the flats for a year at a time.

Students cannot uphold the University of Manchester’s commitment to civic responsibility and engagement if they are physically separated from other residents, and made unaware of the issues affecting the area. Furthermore, despite the 23% of units to be prices at £110 on average, the highest boundary for pricing, £230, far exceeds student financial limits for cost-of-living loans. Student accommodation prices have doubled within the past eight years in some locations and aggravating this issue will only do further damage to student welfare.

The location of Hulme is also considerably isolated from the universities and other student accommodations, meaning that prospective students would not be able to access the same resources and opportunities as their peers. The council has a responsibility to both residents of Hulme and university students to ensure adequate amenities and fair pricing - and the current proposal denies both parties secure and comfortable housing.

The Gamecock pub currently represents one of the few pieces of undeveloped land in Hulme, and has historically been a site of community gatherings and organisation. Hulme is an area indicated by the Indices of Multiple Deprivation as in the 30% most deprived neighbourhoods in the country, and 10% most deprived when looking at Health Deprivation and Disability Domain. It is vitally important that any future housing projects prioritise the demands of those being affected by multiple intersections of poverty and discrimination.

The ‘Block the Block’ campaign, led and supported by Hopton Hopefuls, Aquarius Tenants and Residents Association, Hulme Community Forum and On Top of the World Hulme, has already developed a community plan for alternative building projects which addresses the needs for environmentally-conscious and accessible housing. We believe this would be a great boon to the community, without forcing students to live in yet more poor-quality and expensive accommodation.

We think that the council should consult with students on what their demands for decent housing are, and work together with the student community to improve what accommodation already exists. Prospective students would benefit greatly from the opportunity to explore Manchester freely and engage in local life outside of purpose-built blocks.

We urge the council to once again reject the plans for the Gamecock development.

Signed,

Societies:

Manchester Student Renters Union

Manchester Trade Union Society

Manchester Labour Students

Manchester Young Greens

Manchester Leftist Action

University of Manchester Rent Strike

University of Manchester Swift Society

University of Manchester Amnesty International

University of Manchester BA Social Sciences Society

University of Manchester Vinyl Frontier

University of Manchester Diversify Politics

University of Manchester The Butterfly Effect

University of Manchester Woman. Life. Freedom. Society

Students:

Louise Moracchini, Year 3 BA History at the University of Manchester

Jason Lee, Year 3 BA History at the University of Manchester

Ish Tominey-Nevado, Year 1 PhD Politics at the University of Manchester

Elliot Briffa, Year 3 BA Politics and Modern History at the University of Manchester

Deborah Holton, Year 2 BA Anthropology and Archeology at the University of Manchester

Tamar Singer, Year 3 BA Social Sciences at the University of Manchester

Hamza Aslam, Year 1 BA Politics and Modern History at the University of Manchester

Harrison Pincombe, Year 1 MA International Relations at the University of Manchester

Maya Salgado Swabey, Year 3 BA French and English Literature at the University of Manchester

Riley Cann, Year 2 BA Politics and Modern History at the University of Manchester

Tomás Roma, Year 3 BA History at the University of Manchester

Reuben Hughes, Year 2 BSocSc Sociology at the University of Manchester

Jennifer Forshae, Year 3 LLB Law at the University of Manchester

Ruby Dawtry, Year 1 MA Film Studies at the University of Manchester

Harriet Greenly, Year 3 BSc Psychology at the University of Manchester

Naomi Sattar Holmstrom, Year 3 BA History and Art History at the University of Manchester

Vincent Crabtree, Year 3 BA Politics and International Relations at the University of Manchester

Laya Hooshyari, Year 1 PhD Education at the University of Manchester

Jakub Tomasz Czaicki, Year 3 BA History at the University of Manchester

Alexander Gailey, Year 3 BA Politics and Modern History at the University of Manchester

Donal Biswas-Graham, Year 2 BA Linguistics at the University of Manchester

Alec Fuller, Year 3 BA Philosophy and Politics at the University of Manchester

Oscar Hughes, Year 2 BA Classical Studies at the University of Manchester

Amy Worrell, Year 2 BA Ancient History at the University of Manchester

Lina Stritt, Year 3 BSc Physics at the University of Manchester

Imogen Boylan, Year 3 BA Politics and Modern History at the University of Manchester

Bethany Fawcett, Year 1 Bsc Biology with Science and Society at the University of Manchester

Laura Ashton, Year 2 BSc Physics at the University of Manchester

Faolan Stephenson, Year 2 MPhys Physics at the University of Manchester

Daisy Berrington, Year 2 BA Politics and Sociology at the University of Manchester

Lara Chetwynd, Year 3 BA English Literature at the University of Manchester

Elizabeth Nandra, Year 3 BA German and Japanese at the University of Manchester

MIa Adeboye, Year 2 BA Latin and English Literature at the University of Manchester

Jack Newton, Year 2 BSc Computer Science and Mathematics at the University of Manchester

Richard Bridge, Year 1 BA Politics and German at the University of Manchester

Ahmad Hariz bin Zahidi, Year 6 MArch Architecture at the University of Manchester

Maisy Vincent, Year 3 BSc International Disaster Management and Humanitarian Response at the University of Manchester

Simla Cebi, Year 3 BSc Chemistry at the University of Manchester

Thomas Naughton, Year 3 BA Filmmaking at Manchester Metropolitan University

Krishan Ellis, Year 3 BA Filmmaking at Manchester Metropolitan University

Nellie Webster, Year 3 LLB Law with Politics at the University of Manchester

Ryleigh Eldrin, Year 2 BA Social Sciences at the University of Manchester

Georgia Hall, Year 3 BA History at the University of Manchester

George Morris, Year 3 BSc Geography at the University of Manchester

Alban Mayo, Year 4 BA Politics and Spanish at the University of Manchester

Annesa Khan, Year 3 BA Modern History with Economics at the University of Manchester

Jihun Oh, Year 3 BSc Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Manchester

Lizzie Clements, Year 2 BA Politics and Philosophy at the University of Manchester

Ahnaf Rahman, Year 2 BA Politics, Philosophy and Economics at the University of Manchester

Katie Riggs, Year 3 BA Social Sciences at the University of Manchester

Yanna Rees, Year 3 BA Social Anthropology and Criminology at the University of Manchester

Isobel Askew, Year 3 BA Psychology at the University of Manchester

Laura Bailey, Year 2 BSc Biochemistry at the University of Manchester

Ellen MacDonald, Year 3 BA History at the University of Manchester

Eve Hoarty, Year 1 BA Music Production at Futureworks

Lily Thomas, Year 3 BA History and Sociology at the University of Manchester

Jack Hughes, Year 3 BA Politics and Modern History at the University of Manchester

Harry Burke, Year 2 BA German and Politics at the University of Manchester

India James-Iyalla, Year 3 LLB Law at the University of Manchester

Ioana-Melania Pahome, Year 3 Fine Art and Art History at Manchester Metropolitan

Julian Gao, Year 1 BSc Computer Science with Industrial Experience at the University of Manchester

Rosie Atkinson, Year 1 BA Politics and Modern History at the University of Manchester

Ryan Belhadj, Year 4 MPhys Physics at the University of Manchester

Ben Wadsley, Year 2 BA Politics at the University of Manchester

Kieran Tempest, Year 2 MPhys Physics at the University of Manchester

Farah Khan, Year 2 BA Politics and Modern History at the University of Manchester

Alexander Cooper, Year 3 BA Politics and History at the University of Manchester

Tom Davies, Year 3 BA Politics and International Relations at the University of Manchester

Vivien Holmes, Year 1 PhD Cancer Genomics at the University of Manchester

Juliette Knight, Year 3 BA Politics and German at the University of Manchester

Sohrab Rezvani, Year 2 PhD Education at the University of Manchester

Lily McAllister-Sutton, Year 3 BA Philosophy and Politics at the University of Manchester

Eden Migliari, Year 2 BA Linguistics at the University of Manchester

Naomi Welsby, Year 2 BA Politics and Modern History at the University of Manchester

Ocean Dattani, Year 2 BA Drama and Film Studies at the University of Manchester

Catherine Jackson, Year 3 BSocSc Social Anthropology at the University of Manchester

Mohammed Aayman Khokar, Year 3 BSc Biotechnology at the University of Manchester

Emma Dewhirst, Year 2 BA Politics and Modern History at the University of Manchester

Fraser McGuire, Year 2 BA Politics and Modern History at the University of Manchester

Thomas Rossall Kleczewski, Year 4 MPhys Physics at the University of Manchester

Nina Vincent, Year 2 BSocSc Social Anthropology at the University of Manchester

Maia Martin, Year 2 BA Politics and International Relations at the University of Manchester

Hasan Patel, Year 1 BA Politics at the University of Manchester

Leila May Mills, Year 2 BA Politics and Modern History at the University of Manchester

Charlotte Roberts, Year 3 BSc Biology at the University of Manchester

Ella Boyes, Year 2 BA Ancient History at the University of Manchester

Milo Summers, Year 2 BA History at the University of Manchester

Alec Severs, Year 2 BA History at the University of Manchester

Freddie Brinicombe, Year 2 BA Politics and Modern History at the University of Manchester

Annabel Craddock, Year 2 BA English Literature at the University of Manchester

Jack Browett, Year 2 BA Politics and International Relations at the University of Manchester

Lily Taylor, Year 2 MBChB Medicine at the University of Manchester

Samuel Schomberg, Year 2 MPhys Physics with Study in Europe at the University of Manchester

Niara Underhill, Year 2 BA Politics and Modern History at the University of Manchester

Ethan Daniel, Year 1 MA Classics and Ancient History at the University of Manchester

Nina Mitchell, Year 3 MEarthSci Earth and Planetary Science at the University of Manchester

Jonathan Jones, Year 2 MEng Chemical Engineering at the University of Manchester

Louis Cotterell, Year 2 BA Politics, Philosophy and Economics at the University of Manchester

Tia Fordham, Year 3 BSc Zoology with Industrial/Professional Experience at the University of Manchester

Maya Tanna, Year 2 BSocSc Philosophy and Politics at the University of Manchester

Roisin Connor, Year 2 BA Film Studies and History at the University of Manchester

Rosie Ross, Year 2 BA Religions, Theology and Ethics at the University of Manchester

Eleanor Duke, Year 2 BA Arabic and French at the University of Manchester

Wolfie McLeish, Year 2 BA Politics, Philosophy and Economics at the University of Manchester

Elise Lane, Year 2 BA Film Studies and English Literature at the University of Manchester

Jonah Willitts, Year 2 BA Politics and Modern History at the University of Manchester

Jenni Wesson, Year 2 BNurs Mental Health Nursing at the University of Manchester

Adam Hanlon-Jahangeer, Year 1 BA Modern History with Economics at the University of Manchester

Florence Raeyen, Year 2 BA English Literature at the University of Manhcester

Ellen Jarrett, Year 2 Politics and Modern History at the University of Manchester

Annie Graham, Year 2 LLB Law at the University of Manchester

Rhianne Noble, Year 2 BA Popular Music Performance at BIMM Manchester

Willow Fisher, Year 2 BA Politics, Philosophy and Economics at the University of Manchester

Noelle Caruso-Kelly, Foundation Year MBChB Medicine with Foundation Year at the University of Manchester

Vivien MacDonald, Year 1 MA Modern and Contemporary Literature at the University of Manchester

Staff:

Prof. Kevin Malone, UCU Music at the University of Manchester

Morgan Rhys Powell, UCU Sociology at the University of Manchester

Dr. Cesare G. Ardito, UCU Staff at the University of Manchester

Dr Luke Yates, UCU Social Science at the University of Manchester

Alexia Yates, UCU History at the University of Manchester

John Piprani, UCU Archaeology at the University of Manchester

Artemis Christinaki, UCU Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Manchester

Blaise Nkwenti-Azeh, UCU Staff at the University of Manchester

Alex Campsie, UCU Staff at the University of Manchester

Full Name (if signing on behalf of a society message @msrusociety on instagram) *

University *

Course (i.e BA German Studies) *

Year (if staff put staff and what union your in) *

Submit

Clear form

Never submit passwords through Google Forms.

This content is neither created nor endorsed by Google. - Terms of Service - Privacy Policy

Does this form look suspicious? Report

Forms