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Nottingham Post
Nottingham Post
National
Matt Jarram & Sarah Bryan

Students hit back after council takes 'tough stance' on house parties in Lenton

Students have hit back after Nottingham City Council vowed to take a tough stance on house parties causing " major disruption" in Lenton.

The council has already handed out 297 warning notices to rowdy students since the start of this academic year, which began at the end of last month.

This compares to 216 notices handed out for the whole of the last academic year.

The council says it has no other option but to look at tougher penalties to curb bad behaviour.

It has sent a stern letter to 1,400 homes in the Lenton area, where a significant number of large student parties have been held.

Penalties for holding loud late-night parties could include being kicked out of the property for up to three months, or being slapped with a civil injunction, which puts sanctions on any perpetrator in order to stop their bad behaviour.

But students in the area have hit back when speaking to the Post today (Oct 27).

Ben Gelbart, 20, of Rolleston Drive, who is in his second year at the University of Nottingham studying Hispanic studies, said students were "only trying to have a bit of fun".

He said: "If the residents hate it then why do they live in a student area? Students aren’t malicious at all, we’re good people.

"We’re just trying to have a bit of fun whilst we’re at university. It [the letter] is a bit overdramatic.

"Some of the parties aren’t even that bad. I was at one last week that was shut down really early, and it wasn’t that loud at all.

"The (CPO) officers came multiple times during the party then finally shut it down. Quite a lot of parties happen on this street."

Daniel Moya, 19, a modern languages student at the University of Nottingham, also of Rolleston Drive, added: "We have people from the council telling us to put our bins out all the time too.

"We try to do our best, but there will always be parties in this student area."

Lola Shaw, 18, lives on Harlaxton Drive and studies philosophy at the University of Nottingham said students will still have parties on the street.

She said: "Of course we will still have parties. You only come to university once so we have to make the most of our time here.

"I don’t think we’re that loud anyway. Plus the letter, we have had it but when I left it had been buried under other post we have. It’s over-dramatic and comical to be honest."

But Councillor Toby Neal, Nottingham City Council’s portfolio holder for community and customer services, said the antisocial behaviour is having a "detrimental effect on people’s lives".

He said: "The letter was sent to students living in the Lenton area by Community Protection after officers were called out to a large number of parties at the end of September.

"For such major disruption to have been caused over the course of one weekend is unacceptable and we are working closely with the universities and landlords to get the message across to students that they have a responsibility to the communities in which they live to be good neighbours.

"We welcome students to our city and it is only a small proportion of them involved in these large scale parties, which are having a significant impact on the lives of residents.

"We are looking at using other enforcement options that are open to us that carry potentially serious consequences, including court action.

"We don’t want to be killjoys and we understand that socialising is an important part of student life, but we have a duty to all residents and will always take action when antisocial behaviour is having a detrimental effect on people’s lives."

The letter has been circulated to approximately 1,400 homes in the Lenton Area.

He added: "We have issued 297 Community Protection Warning Notices in the Lenton area since the commencement of this academic year compared with 216 such notices for the whole of the last academic year."

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