Luxury student complex in Glasgow ‘unfinished and filthy’on October 9, 2021 at 8:37 am

- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -

Students in Glasgow have complained to the provider about holes in floors, construction dust and flooding.

A luxury student accommodation complex in Glasgow has been branded a “filthy and unfinished building site”.

The Cathedral Street property, named Bridle Works, is billed as having a “range of top-class amenities” including a gym and rooftop terrace.

But students have complained to provider Novel Student as they felt they were “misled” over conditions.

The firm said the pandemic had affected construction and it was “disappointed” to hear the students’ experiences.

Bridle Works
Bridle Works

In a letter seen by the BBC, 38 international students detail a list of complaints including:

  • Rooms covered in dust from ongoing construction work
  • Holes in ceilings and floors, and exposed wiring
  • Unfinished communal areas
  • Flooding and leaks
  • And upfront rent costs paid for rooms that aren’t complete

One post-graduate student – who asked to remain anonymous – told BBC Scotland she arrived in the country from abroad last month.

The 22-year-old said she found the accommodation via the University of Strathclyde website. BBC Scotland found links to the property from the university’s student association site.

She paid more than £10,000 up front for a year’s stay at Bridle Works.

Bridle Works

Four days after she made the payment, however, the company informed her that her room was still under construction – a fortnight before she was due to move in mid-September.

She said: “I was told by a couple of other international students it would be difficult to secure a place in the city this year due to an ongoing housing shortage and the UN conference. However, I managed to be linked to Bridle Works.

“There was never any mention online, on the phone calls or in any correspondence with Novel Student that it was still under construction until after I paid my rent.

“I felt it was incredibly misleading as my parents and I were under the impression it was finished.”

Novel Student

Image source, Novel Student

luxury apartments Novel Student

Image source, Novel Student

Novel Student offered to reimburse rent costs for days missed at the property and accommodate students in hotels in Glasgow.

However, the student said she was told she could live on a lower floor until her room was ready.

She added: “I arrived in Scotland and then moved into what was evidently a construction site.

“My room just gets coated with dirt. I can only open my window at night, and have to vacuum three times a day to manage the dust from internal construction. Not how I want to spend my time.

“What was advertised was a space that has amenities, where you can peacefully study in your room. But what we got was a place full of hazards and noise. It was the opposite of peaceful.

“I have counted 40 fire alarms since I moved in last month, sometimes in the middle of the night. And those are just the ones I am home for.”

Bridle Works
Novel

Image source, Novel Student

The 20-floor development advertises 422 rooms starting at £238 per week.

On its website, Novel Student said: “You won’t have to splash on extra gym memberships, or laundry fees, making it much more affordable for student life.

“All bills are also included in your rent, so you can set your budget for the month without having to worry about any unpleasant surprises.”

BBC Scotland understands issues have been shared in a WhatsApp group comprising 81 students.

In written statements also included in the letter of complaint, one student said: “When I moved in [my room] was extremely dirty with dirty water hand marks on my banisters and door frames.

“When I wiped down the inside of my cupboards, the cloth I used turned black. I have only gotten hot water after a week of staying here and when I first moved in, my radiator fell off the wall.

“Not to mention, my sprinkler cover fell off my ceiling the other day with no warning. My friend’s room has literal holes in the flooring.”

Another student wrote that none of the amenities advertised by Novel Student had been provided apart from the gym, where they said “half the machines” were not working.

They also said one out of four lifts in the building can be used by tenants as the rest are being used by construction crew.

Bridle Works

Novel Student – which runs other sites in Edinburgh, Belfast and Sheffield – said it is “committed to delivering exceptional student experiences”.

In a statement, it said: “We are naturally disappointed to hear of any resident experiences that fall short of that.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has undoubtedly presented significant challenges to our operations given the three-month construction shutdown – a universal obstacle experienced by companies working in different capacities across the real estate industry.

“It is our goal to always ensure the on-time delivery of products to residents, and given the significant challenges we have faced, we have had to accelerate this process to the best of our ability.”

It added: “We greatly appreciate the patience of our residents as we navigate these challenges and sympathize with the disruptions they have endured over the last several weeks.

“Out of respect for the privacy of the entire community, residents and staff alike, we cannot comment publicly on more specific matters concerning our residents.”

- Advertisement -

Discover

Sponsor

Latest

Two species of worms are the same even after 275 million years of evolution

One of the basic things evolution has taught us is that as time goes by, the body shapes of living beings tend to change....

Electricity pylon plans to add up to £30 to billson March 19, 2024 at 7:51 am

New undersea cables and power lines could add up to £30 a year to energy bills, a new plan suggests.New undersea cables and power...

Mohammed Bin Salman: Saudi Prince’s controversial invitation to the Queen’s funeralon September 17, 2022 at 1:31 pm

Human rights campaigners say it is a stain on Queen Elizabeth II's memory.Image source, Getty ImagesBritain's invitation to Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince and de...

Ukraine war: Living in fear or in jail – Russia’s defiant truth tellerson May 23, 2022 at 5:00 am

Despite the threat of a 15-year jail term, some Russians a refusing to be silenced by the Kremlin.Image source, Getty ImagesTo Ukrainians it was...

Logan Mwangi: Juror traumatised by murder trial evidenceon June 30, 2022 at 2:24 pm

Dr Joselyn Sellen says hearing what happened to Logan Mwangi left her "completely traumatised".Dr Joselyn Sellen says hearing what happened to Logan Mwangi left...