Free cycle plan for student hall

The £4m conversion of Alexandra Hall will house 253 students

A developer has come up with a way of helping solve parking problems in a university town - offering students free bicycles to replace their cars.

Aberystwyth planners have given the go-ahead for a £4m plan to renovate a derelict building into a student hall

Accommodation for 253 students will be provided at the vacant Alexandra Hall on the seafront - but there will be no room for car parking.

So one suggestion by the man behind the scheme is to provide a fleet of free bicycles for students there.

There are many more students with cars these days and most ....don't move them from one week to the next John James

The five-storey building, opened by Alexandra, Princess of Wales in 1896, was originally a student hall but, since it closed ten years ago, it has fallen into a state of disrepair.

There are 7,500 students at the university - many of them bring their own cars.

"The town council objected to this development because we already have a huge problem with parking in Aberystwyth," said mayor John James.

"There are many more students with cars these days and most of them bring their cars and don't move them from one week to the next."

Ceredigion Council's director of highway Huw Morgan said that when other university halls had been refurbished and enlarged there had been no requirement to provide student car parking.

"The university provides a bus service between its campus and the halls of residence and has extensive car parking space on the campus," he said.

Bus service

"Any students owning cars may park them on the campus and use the bus service to and from the halls."

However, the man behind the conversion has said he wants to discuss a travel plan to encourage walking, cycling and use of buses.

"He suggested this would include a fleet of free bicycles for the students and rearrangement of the university bus service," Mr Morgan said.

The plan was approved by the council planning committee on Wednesday and will now be taken on by architects James Jenkins.

Company spokesman Harry James said the cost of refurbishing the hall would be about £4m and i tcould be completed by next September.

A spokesman for the university said they had been approached by the scheme's developers but no contract had been agreed.

"We strongly discourage students living on the seafront from bringing their cars to Aberystwyth," he added.