Newcastle University has just opened Park View Student Village for first year undergraduate students. The £75 million accommodation consists of 1,261 single en-suite bedrooms and 16 single studios within six residential buildings. Park View Student Village is intended to replace the 1970s buildings in Richardson Road. Each flat has their own kitchen, equipped with a licence provided flat-screen TV and Wi-Fi. The facilities include an on-site laundrette and an indoor bicycle storage. Park View Student Village also has a multi-use common room for socialising, gaming and studying.
However, their have already been reports of students struggling to cope with noise from contruction works nearby. Joe Chapman, a first year History student said: “I’ve got a low contact hour degree which means I’m in here a lot. If I want to do work in my room, it is kind of impossible. “Sometimes, I wish to open my windows for fresh air, but I cannot deal with the noise.”
The construction work is designed to become a new Sports Centre at Newcastle University for academic space and recreational sport. It is due for completion by summer of 2019. One of the residents, Rachel Martin, an international student, believes that Park View meets her expected standards from the official university website. Martin said: “I knew Park View would be modern due to it being new. I wasn’t sure about how good the landlords here are because back home some could be rather sneaky. When I saw the pictures of what you get for here, I felt like it was worth the money. The features are all fairly accurate to the website.”
Martin considers the services at the reception to be “extremely helpful” in times where they have had minor problems. “When we first moved in, the door alarm was going off even when the fire door was shut. But whenever we have an issue, we go down and talk to the maintenance team by the desk, and they’ve got someone to fix it for you on the same day.” Discussing the affordability of Park View, Martin adds: “It’s about a two-minute walk to where I take most of my lectures. I would rather pay a bit more than having to worry walking in rain or snow.”
Park View Student Village is 0.9 kilometres away from Newcastle University and is a short walk to the Newcastle city centre. Safety is taken seriously with entry-phone systems, CCTV and Estates Security Officers patrolling around the accommodation. According to Paul Bandeen, the Director of Accommodation Services in Newcastle University: “Park View not only offers modern, high quality facilities and amenities, but a supportive and welcoming environment for new students.”
For a single en-suite room, the weekly rent rate is £134.33. While for a single studio room, the weekly rent rate is £166.25. All the utility bills are included in the rent. The contract is a fixed term period of 40 weeks and will accommodate the academic year.