Leeds residents file 50 complaints about student parties in first month of the new term

Data released following a Freedom of Information Act request, submitted by Ivory Research, found that 50 complaints were made to Leeds City Council from September 1 to October 1.

The complaints were made against student houses - houses of multiple occupancy in which the occupants are full-time students attending university, shared student halls of residence or privately-rented student homes.

According to the research, Leeds was one of the worst cities in the UK for complaints against student parties, behind Manchester with 99 complaints and Bournemouth with 78 complaints.

The co-founder of Ivory Research, Maria Ovdii, said: “We conducted this piece of research to find out which cities had the most complaints against student parties during their first month of attendance at university.

"Leeds students are some of the most complained about students along with Bournemouth and Canterbury."

Leeds City Council is launching a partnership with Leeds Beckett University and the University of Leeds to deliver proactive work to discourage noise nuisance and anti-social behaviour among the student community.

A council spokesperson said: “We are proud of the work we are doing, with partners, to ensure Leeds is a safe, clean and attractive place to live for all members of the community.

"Our strengthened partnership approach, made possible by funding from Leeds Beckett University and the University of Leeds, will help with proactive work to discourage noise nuisance and anti-social behaviour.

"It will also support additional enforcement capacity if and when the need arises and we hope this will provide local residents with the reassurance that we are taking this issue seriously.

"These new measures will be in place by January and it should be noted that our long-standing work tackling issues of concern in the area is continuing in the meantime.”

Earlier this year, a councillor called for more to be done to stop street parties in student hotspots getting “out of control”.

Residents in Hyde Park were kept awake by a large street party attended by a bumper crowd of revellers in June.

A Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) has been introduced in Headingley and Hyde Park, which bans street parties, drinking alcohol in public and taking drugs in public, while also requiring that all rubbish should be in bins.

But during a meeting of a council scrutiny committee in July, some councillors expressed concern that the orders are not being enforced properly.

Coun Keyleigh Brooks (Lab) said: “(The PSPO) doesn’t seem to be having the desired impact. There have been problems with implementation and, from most accounts, it doesn’t seem to be being enforced, particularly around street parties and gatherings – there have been quite a few that have got out of control.

“Changeover has also been very trying and stressful for residents. As old tenants move out, you have new tenants moving in.”

Claire Smith, head of service for the council’s Leeds Antisocial Behaviour Team, said the council will use enforcement powers where needed to tackle antisocial behaviour and noise nuisances.

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