All students living in The University of Lincoln’s ‘Gateway’ accommodation are to be relocated to “alternative accommodation” by next Friday, 28th October.
Help packing and unpacking will be made available for students by the University.
Picture: Ellis Asher
This follows an independent fire safety assessment by the University which found that, “having consulted with Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue, we have concluded it is in the best interests of our students to vacate the building while we liaise with the building owner to make the necessary improvements.”
Residents that are unhappy with their alternative accommodation can be released from their tenancy agreement or request another option through accommodation services.
“Student safety is our utmost priority,” students were told by a statement published by the University.
“The University will be relocating all residential tenants of The Gateway to alternative student accommodation in the coming weeks,” they continued.
“This will begin this week and be completed by Friday 28 October. Residents of Floors 6 and 7 and Block C must be relocated by the end of this week (21 October).”
The Lincoln Students’ Union said they “are aware that many of you are frustrated with disruptions to the start of your 2022/23 student experience.”
Picture: Ellis Asher
They cited problems with the new OneUni enrolment process and timetabling, and now the relocation of students out of The Gateway accommodation on the grounds of fire safety.
Students affected have been urged to visit the Lincoln SU advice centre, located in the main SU building.
An enquiries centre, located in the tipi on campus, is also being provided by The University. To book an appointment, students are encouraged to call the number, or use the digital form, found in an email sent to them this morning.
Additional fire marshals are being provided as a part of the extra fire safety measures enacted until all students have been relocated.
Jonathan Kirkham, a Gateway resident, speaking to The Linc said: “I deliberately chose that accommodation due to its location and because of the large studio apartments,’’
‘’If I move to another location, it’s likely to be relatively nearby, with small increases in travel, maybe 15 minutes here or there, getting to the gym, church, societies. These add up over time.”
“It was a bit of a mess in the morning, as all the phone lines are busy, when I emailed them they just gave us the phone number,”
“I understand they have to do [this] but perhaps if they were doing some form of audit they should have been done in the summer.”
Students are encouraged to keep checking their emails, where the university will send updated information about what comes next.