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epigram The Croft Pullout
est. 1988
The University of Bristol’s Independent Student Newspaper
Fortnightly 4th February 2019 Issue 334 Celebrating 30 years
Uni condemns The Noise Pages for privacy breaches
Illustration: Cameron Scheijde
Tom Taylor
Deputy Features Editor
Exclusive • Uni spokesperson: the page ‘does little to encourage community cohesion’ • Concerns were raised around publication of house numbers • Noise Pages founder: “The University would naturally avoid any public discussion that shines a spotlight on their own failure”
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ristol University has condemned ‘The Noises Pages’, a website set up to report loud house parties. A spokesperson for the University said ‘The University voiced concerns to the owner of The Noise Pages website from the outset, particularly around the impact on students’ safety by publishing house numbers’. The spokesperson has told Epigram that ‘We feel this approach does little to encourage community cohesion and we would prefer if concerns or complaints could be raised with us directly’. Reports from The Noise Pages website now no longer include house numbers and previously stated house numbers have been redacted. Whilst this move has been welcomed ‘as a positive step towards respecting students’
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safety and privacy’, Bristol University ‘would much rather issues were raised with us directly rather than any detail about student properties or accommodation published online.’ This statement follows Epigram’s report in October last year that the number of noise complaints about students in private housing has risen by 52%. The Noise Pages is a website founded by exjournalist and Redland resident, Andrew Waller. Waller creates detailed noise reports, which usually concern student house parties or loud drunken behaviour on the street in residential areas, and posts them on the site in order to raise awareness about residential noise pollution. Waller has responded to the University with the following statement: ‘First, no students are named on my website – as I’m pretty sure
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the university knows. Second, any “shaming” is self-inflicted: if you hold a loud party and keep the street awake, you’ve advertised yourself to the world and it’s a it’s a bit rich to then suggest that the community shouldn’t discuss your activities. Third, by far the main risk to community cohesion is those students who indulge in anti-social behaviour. Fourth, I and other residents have been raising our concerns directly with the University for years – with little meaningful result. The university, naturally, would prefer to avoid any public discussion which shines a spotlight on its own failure to get these problems under control. And lastly, I’m always unimpressed by “spokesmen” who hide behind anonymity’.
Continued on page 5...
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