Sir, The effect of parents buying flats and houses for their student children (report, Aug 8) is not limited to rising property prices in university towns.

In St Andrews, students represent almost 7,000 of the population of 17,000, and occupy one sixth of the town’s housing stock. Many houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) are converted from former social housing. There is a critical shortage of family housing in the town and young people have to move away to raise families.

Students keep different hours from families and older people and noise can be a particular problem. Young people living away from home for the first time are often new to the responsibility of relationships with neighbours. Gardens can be neglected or are converted to hard landscaping to avoid maintenance costs, reducing the visual appeal of the area. Car parking can also be a concern. “Studentification” occurs when whole neighbourhoods are composed primarily of these young, transient and seasonal residents,

Students bring life, fun, interest and many economic benefits to their host communities. When the ratio of student numbers is modest compared with that of the permanent population the problems remain small and manageable. But a tipping point is reached when students make up more than 10 per cent of the local population. These problems have now affected almost every university town in the country.

DR ANGELA MONTFORD
Central St Andrews
Residents Association

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