Plans to improve buildings across campus over the summer holiday period have been finalised.
The chief refurbishment will be of James blocks A, B and C, working alongside plans to demolish Spring Lane housing and Derwent Provost’s lodge.
The plans include renovating student living spaces, bedrooms, kitchens and bathrooms, developed in consultation with students and college staff.
One first-year James College resident said of the refurbishment plans: “I’m glad the blocks will be improved for next year, and hope the renovations won’t be rushed. My block really needs it – the kitchens are tiny, with only one little fridge, and the rooms are so old fashioned.”
Dexter Clarke, Chair of James College, told Vision: “The whole JCRC are really pleased with what we’ve seen so far and look forward to welcoming new students to these much improved living spaces.”
The improvements to James College are part of ‘phase two’ of the Accommodation Refurbishment project, which follows in the footsteps of the completion of Halifax and Derwent accommodation block refurbishments in previous years.
Changes on the Heslington West campus this summer also include the demolition of Vanbrugh’s Wentworth E Block, whilst Vision understands that the University are unlikely to utilise accommodation at Fairfax House again this year.
The quality of Derwent College D block’s refurbishment in 2011 came under fire last year after multiple sewage leakages. Vision revealed that Oddies, the company contracted to refurbish D block, has since gone out of business.
The work is due to start in June, and last until September of this year.
Plans for 2014 have yet to be finalised, but are likely to include Eden’s Court and parts of Alcuin College. Large areas of Alcuin accommodation were marked in the 2012 Campus Condition Survey as needing “freshening up refurbishment” in the near future.
YUSU President Kallum Taylor told Vision: “It’s good that the University are addressing some of the desperate needs to update Heslington West campus.
“It ultimately comes down to speed and priorities though. Currently parts of Hes West are a hard sell for the University.
“We (YUSU) are adamant that the last thing we want here at York is a tale of two campuses; so it’s important that the rate of refurbishments, demolitions and new build here is done so in sync with sorting Heslington East’s growth, and very different set of problems.”