JOHNNYDEPP
The worlcfs greatest lover and worst film director in the space of a fortnight
CAMPUS rents are to go through the roof next year... with rooms in Constable Terrace or Nelson Court set to cost more than £50 a week.
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Charges for other campus accommodation will rise by fivepercent·a weekly increase of£ 1.65 • on a typical room in Norfolk, Suffolk or Waveney Terraces. Licencees at the Village will see their rent rise by £2.20 to
£46.25. Explaining the shock move, UEA'sDirector of Residences, Jenny Grant, said: "Many students have said that Nelson Court and Constable Terrace are better value for money than University Village, and that there should be a difference in price between them. 'The demand formoms [in Nelson and Constable] is such that we can probably get away with changing the levels of rent whilst still encouraging students to take these rooms." But the Student Union slammed the increases on the top-spec aa:ommodation, claiming they were irresponsible at a time of ever-mounting levels of student hardship. 'The Union is appalled by the proposed rent increases", said Communications Officer, Dave Owens. "We feel 13.6 per cent is far above the rate of inflation, and in these days of grant cuts and increased student poverty it is tragically ironic that the University is malcing students pay for its rnismanagem:nt.
"We are currently considering various forms of action, including rent strikes, mass protests and embarrassing the University into reconsidering the proposed rent rises. "Only by boyconing University residences will the bungling bosses understand that students don't have a bonomless pit of money to pay for management mistakes. "We feel that every student should think seriously about whether they can afford to pay £50 per week for an en-
Rent rise
shocker: Nelson & Constable to cost £50 next year suite room, and whether it would be a lot bener for them to live in the City for less." Ms Grant also confirmed other proposals made by housing chiefs include the 'recovering' of £80,000 in next year's accommodation account as part of a move to reduce a whopping £220,000 deficit caused by blunders in the last few years. She stated that in order to combat the shortfall, the University would also have to make cutbacks in residence maintenance and repairs. as well as cuning cleaning services which they felt was possible due to improved efficiency. "I have a commitment to retaining the same level of service and improving quality", she said. "''ve taken decisions that I think will benelit the majority of students." • Concrete Comment- film to page B.