Boris Warned That London Developers Are Too Focused on Premium Property

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has been warned that developers of student accommodation in the city are 'too focused' on catering to international students willing to pay premium prices.

Tom Copley, chair of the housing committee of the London Assembly, has written to Mr Johnson claiming that London's increasingly high-end student accommodation market is marginalising British students. In the letter he calls upon the Mayor to help families who face 'daunting accommodation costs' when sending their children to university in the capital.

The letter was prompted by a recent report from London First and PwC which highlights the growing international student presence in London. These figures are then set against a report by the NUS that highlights the rising student accommodation costs London students face.

The result is a warned from Mr Copley that, "Our universities mustn't become dormitories for the children of the global super-rich."

"Unless the Mayor takes action, students from ordinary families will be priced-out of the capital's campuses and from realising their full potential in some of the world's best universities."

Image courtesy of Flickr, Creative Commons.