Students - a place to study

Mark Denten Political Reporter North East and Cumbria

Newcastle Council is building thousands of new places for students to live.

Landlords warn that building student-only flats in Newcastle could lead to empty properties in other parts of the city.

It should be good news for communities who frequently claim they're "swamped" with students-but is it?

Private landlords say the big housing plan will actually mean empty houses.

Graduation day

Champagne, academic gowns and proud mums and dads... It was graduation day this week at Newcastle University which saw the latest crop of students finishing their degrees in traditional style.

But in just three months time another new group of freshers will arrive in the city.

The University of Newcastle is one of the unversities with a growing number of students

Newcastle is an increasingly popular place to study - there are over 37,000 students in the city.

The numbers have grown dramatically over the last few years and its left some streets with hardly any local residents.

Newcastle Council's response is a housing plan.

Councillors want up to 5,000 new students housed in purpose built accommodation by 2010.

Ivory towers

In parts of the city seven story tower blocks have already been built.

Student housing - complete with broadband, en suite and mod cons

The rooms are designed specifically for students - each one has an en suite bathroom and broadband.

But private landlords say the council has overestimated the number of new undergraduates.

They say existing students will fill the snazzy new tower blocks instead, leaving empty student properties elsewhere in the city.

Property business

The landlords say families will not simply move back in as the students move out, and swathes of the city could be blighted by empty properties.

Of course, they also have a financial interest in all this, and admit that some student property businesses will lose money.

Tyneside - a top student destination but how can students and residents live side by side

The council says it has got its student estimates correct and its policies are designed to give students choice while supporting local residents.

But while residents groups in the student area of Jesmond welcome the policy, they say it will do precious little to help them cope with current numbers of students.

So is this a bold initiative designed to rebalance communities, or a policy pleasing no one?

Watch the Politics Show on BBC One at 11:00 on Sunday.

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