Bristol University students will be living in halls in Newport Student Village due to oversubscription

The Newport Student Village accommodation, on Usk Way, is being offered by the university after its accommodation in Bristol was oversubscribed.

This is thought to be the result of fewer deferrals and withdrawals this year than the university anticipated.

The accommodation is 31.2 miles from the Bristol campus, and is listed as a part of the university’s ‘commute and save’ scheme, along with accommodation in Langford, North Somerset.

On its website, the university lists the travel time to campus as one hour and 22 minutes by train, and one hour and two minutes by bus.

The University of Bristol confirmed there would be free parking at one of the university buildings in Bristol for those travelling by car and a free bus pass into campus.

READ MORE:

• Woman 'pushes man into oncoming traffic' in Cwmbran.
• Drug paraphernalia, condoms and other waste dumped in a Newport memorial garden.
• First look at how Tiny Rebel brewery's new 30,000 sq ft Newport distribution warehouse could look.

Newport Student Village was originally built to accommodate students at the University of South Wales’ Newport campus, but there are now less students needing accommodation in the city, with almost 90 per cent of students on the Newport campus living at home and commuting, and the closure of the former USW campus in Caerleon in 2016.

A spokesperson for the University of Bristol said: “All new undergraduates who made Bristol their first choice in the 2019/20 academic year and applied before June 30 have been offered a room within University residences.

“Over 6,000 students will be housed in University owned or University managed accommodation.

“We are individually supporting students who were not guaranteed accommodation in various ways, including a residential house search event and advice and assistance from both the University accommodation office and colleagues in the Students’ Union.

“One short-term option offered is staying on a temporary basis in University accommodation outside of Bristol, including at the Vet School in Langford.

“We have also made arrangements with a third-party provider at Newport and provided this as an alternative option.

“The small number of students choosing this option will receive support from members of our Residential Life team to help ensure they feel part of the wider University community in those first important weeks.

“We are working very hard to find long-term solutions. The aim is to move those affected into University-allocated accommodation in Bristol as soon as suitable spaces become available.”

A University of South Wales (USW) spokesperson said: “Just over 88 per cent of students who study at Newport Campus live at home and commute to USW to undertake their education.

“The University refers students who require accommodation to Campus Living Villages in Newport. The accommodation provider is a private company and is not part of USW.”

A spokeswoman for Campus Living Villages, the owners of Newport Student Village, said: “We are working with the University of Bristol on a number of projects, including the provision of accommodation at our Newport Student Village for some of its students. We currently have availability at the site and welcome all students who are studying in Newport and the surrounding cities.”

"We will continue to work closely with both the University of Bristol and the University of South Wales, of which we are proud of our long-term partnerships.”