Bristol halts rise in student numbers

By Ellie Brown, Investigations Correspondent

Student Living Officer George Bemrose lobbied the University to slow down expansion after new students were left without accommodation earlier this year

The University of Bristol has scrapped plans to increase student numbers for the next academic year, Epigram can reveal.

According to Student Living Officer George Bemrose, the University will not seek to gain an additional 1,000 students for the 2020/2021 year, as originally planned.

There is also ‘an expectation that the growth in the next few years will be at a slower rate’ to protect the quality of the services offered to students.

A spokesperson for the University said: ‘Following the issues faced by some students in finding accommodation at the start of last term, we have reviewed our growth plans for 2020/21 to ensure we can deliver the very best student experience to everyone.’

Explaining the change, Bemrose referred to ‘the accommodation crisis’ earlier this year, which he linked to rising numbers of students at the University.

‘Over the last few years, the total student population at the University of Bristol has grown by between 500 to 1000 each year. The majority of this growth is new undergraduate students’ he said.

'After the accommodation crisis, I lobbied and worked with the university to ensure this would not happen again.'

Indeed, for Bemrose, it was only 'as a result of me continually raising this as a priority to university management’ that the University decided to scrap its planned expansion next year.’

Meanwhile, the University has also been working with private accommodation providers to ensure that more bed spaces are available in the city next year. Bemrose stated that over 350 extra bed spaces have been found, with over 200 bed spaces ‘available as a contingency.’

However, the University’s long-term growth plans do not seem to have changed. A spokesperson for the institution stated that the institution still plans to have 30,000 students by 2024, though 'a large proportion' of these additional students will be at the Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus, which is due to open in 2023.

Commenting on the changes, Bemrose said: 'one of the first issues I had to deal with this year was the student accommodation crisis in September, and I have been working closely with the university since to make sure this does not happen again.

'One of my main concerns has been university expansion, which is partly what led to the accommodation issues, so I’m really pleased that the university will not be increasing undergraduate student numbers in 2020/21.

‘It’s great that the University has taken my criticism on board and that growth over the next few years will be at a slower rate. This is crucial to make sure that all students can access better quality services.’

Last September, Epigram reported that some freshers had been housed in Newport due to a lack of hall spaces in Bristol - something the University has since rectified.

Asked whether the University's financial position would be negatively affected by slowing down expansion, a spokesperson for the institution said:

'The University is in a healthy financial position and is taking a robust, long-term approach to implementing the University strategy and managing student numbers.

‘Short-term fluctuations in student numbers will be managed and we don’t expect them to substantially impact the University's long-term plans.’

| Student numbers set to grow by 1,000 per year for the next four years

However, the University’s long-term growth plans have not changed.

According to a spokesperson, the institution’s plan to increase overall student numbers to 30,000 by 2024 has not changed.

‘A large proportion of these additional students’ will be at the Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus, which is due to open in 2023.

Commenting on the changes, Bemrose said:

‘One of the first issues I had to deal with this year was the student accommodation crisis in September and I have been working closely with the university since to make sure this does not happen again.

‘One of my main concerns has been university expansion, which is partly what led to the accommodation issues, so I’m really pleased that the university will not be increasing undergraduate student numbers in 2020/21.

‘It’s great that the University has taken my criticism on board and that growth over the next few years will be at a slower rate. This is crucial to make sure that all students can access better quality services.’

Last September, Epigram reported that some freshers had been housed in Newport due to a lack of hall spaces in Bristol.

‘The University is in a healthy financial position and is taking a robust, long-term approach to implementing the University strategy and managing student numbers.

‘Short-term fluctuations in student numbers will be managed and we don’t expect them to substantially impact the University's long-term plans.’

Featured image: Epigram/Will Charley

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