At the end of my tether with students

However, I have also lived next door to a group of lads who did a great impression of a Welsh male voice choir every time they came back from a night out, with their rendition of Country Road Take Me Home. Whilst this would be enchanting at anytime before 11pm, trust me, at 3am, 4am or even 5am, it is not.

This is before we mention the doors slamming, the shouting farewells down the street, the vomit on your doorstep, the constant rubbish, the parking, the alarms. Then there are the alcohol induced arguments, the males who forget to go for a wee before coming out of the pub and therefore urinate on other people’s property, after all a wall is a wall.

I was dismayed when I heard of A C Lloyd’s plans to put a “student accommodation block” for 72 more students in an area that has already a disproportionate amount of students. I am simply at the end of my tether, I simply cannot cope with any more. I simply want it to stop. I have lived in my home for over 30 years and have seen and accepted many changes. Yet I feel that we have definitely reached saturation point. But what can we do about it?

Perhaps Mr Wynne (management director) of AC Lloyd ought to spend a week sleeping (or trying to) at the offices - which have the benefit of double glazing, unlike many of the Grade II-listed buildings, that due to regulations cannot have. Perhaps he ought to try parking on the street, or walking through the tons of rubbish put out each week. As for him saying the local shops benefit from students, yes those that sell alcohol do benefit. The rest of the shops would prefer to have residents who live in the area all year, instead of people who disappear for half the year leaving shops deserted.

I am putting out a call to any Old Town/South Town residents that are left. I would like to host a public meeting at the Salvation Army building on Wednesday June 27 to start at 6pm to discuss the studentification of Old Town/South Town and if we can actually just keep accepting more and more HMOS (houses of multiple occupation) of which the majority are student accommodation, or if there is actually any alternative. Please come along and express your views. - Helen Lowthian, George Street, Leamington.