University students in Bristol slam ‘tiny’ accommodation ‘not fit for humans’

'Appalled' students have moved out of the rooms after just one month.

University students housed in new pod-style accommodation have moved out after a month due to ‘appalling’ living conditions.

University of West England Students (UWE) described ‘tiny’ Purbeck Court Flats as shipping containers ‘not fit for humans.’

The 21 8×10-ft en-suite ‘studio pods’ were installed in the Bristol university’s car park last month, in response to an increased demand for student accommodation

First years living there claim they have been taunted by other students in nearby halls of residence for ‘not living in real accommodation’.

Joe Oakes-Monger told the BBC he had decided to move out because it was ‘quite isolating’ to live in ‘a very confined space’.

He said: ‘It’s a strange place to spend quite a large part of your time in. There’s not really anywhere else to go.

‘At the time [I moved in] I was desperate for accommodation, but I was pretty appalled. I couldn’t quite believe the prospect of spending a year there.’

He added that it was ‘not an appropriate living standard for a human being’.

Other complaints from students have include there being limited communal space, thin walls and being overlooked by an existing hall of residence.

The pods are costing residents £150 per week, whilst campus accommodation ranges from £111 to £183 per week.

Another student, Jack Fifield, said: ‘They [the university] say it’s a pilot scheme but they shouldn’t be testing it on live students.

‘They need to reduce the rent and retroactively refund them.’

The university has said it will be evaluating the value for money of the new units.

It has plans to build a range of 2,000 additional student rooms on the campus, which will be ready by 2022.

A university spokesperson told the BBC the pods had been ‘used successfully elsewhere, including student accommodation at other universities’.

They added: ‘We are working closely with the students living in this accommodation to respond to their feedback.

‘This will be used to inform our future accommodation plans and to see whether the pilot may be extended beyond this academic year.’

The university’s vice chancellor, Steve West, has offered to meet with students living in the pods and said a new communal space will be added soon.