AKA Saturday Night's (not) Gonna Be Alright
Q. How many Middlesex University academic and teaching staff live in Hendon?
A. None*
(*According to Middlesex University Corporate Communications. March 2021).
This is why the MDX powers-that-be like Professor Nic Beech, Vice-Chancellor and James Kennedy, Deputy Chief Executive Office have no idea what night-time in Hendon sounds like for those residents who live around The Burroughs or the top of Greyhound Hill.
It goes something like this ...
This was filmed at 3 am last Saturday night by a resident. The noise went on until 5 am. It came from student accommodation built during the university's last expansion about 15 years ago. The noise could be heard as far away as Newark Way.
Similar incidents happen at least once a week. And guess what - the emerging Barnet Local Plan has designated that this Hall has the potential to be developed with an extra 117 units on top of the current 182.
Have a watch of this second video - and imagine an extra 117 voices. Plus their weekend guests.
Sounds like great fun was being had and that's as it should be. Student days are a brilliant time of your life.
But the people who chose to buy a house in what was a quiet residential area before this hall of residence was built are at a different stage of their life. A stage where being kept awake by this kind of noise in their backyard at this time of night is unwelcome and extremely stressful.
Under the Hendon Hub scheme, there are due to be 384 new units built on the Ravensfield/Fenella site, right next to the units in these videos. Residents of Egerton Gdns, Babington Road, The Burroughs, Brampton Grove etc. will be exposed to such noise pollution. There are 181 units going up on the Meritage Site, also right next to homes. Noise travels, particularly from tall blocks. And there are many more student units planned for Hendon in the near future according to the draft Barnet Local Plan.
I SPY
Hendon residents have recently been informed that if this or similar incidents occur, they can contact Nick Wise, Head of security n.wise@mdx.ac.uk.
But it is absolutely impossible to control and monitor student behaviour 24/7 - and who would want to?!
In any case, the onus should NOT be on the community to keep monitoring, reporting or putting up with incidents like this. MDX say these are rare but it's not true.
Residents want to make things fair and better which can only be done effectively by tackling reality, not a story of life in Hendon.
A story concocted by people who don't live here.
MDX, DON'T BE THE NIMBYS IN THIS SCENARIO
So, Professor Nic Beech and James Kennedy,
Please have some empathy for Hendon residents. Don't cram any more student accommodation into their quiet residential and conservation areas.
Build on your own footprint or on sites that are not in the heart of where people live. Then students can party and residents can sleep and everyone will be happy.
Oh, and don't nick their library.
Thank you.
FOR RESIDENTS -
WHO TO CONTACT WHEN INCIDENTS LIKE THIS HAPPEN:
New buildings, including student accommodation units,
due to be built on The Burroughs, Hendon.