A Guide to Community Living - University of the West of England

A Guide to Community Living

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Dear Resident
Moving out of University accommodation and into your
first shared house/flat with friends is an exciting time.
Along with more independence you will also gain responsibilities,
not just in paying the rent and bills, but towards other members
of the community.
Whilst the vast majority of students and non-student residents live in harmony, lifestyle
differences can cause distress and conflict. Things that may not seem important to you
can be a major source of irritation and upset to non-student residents. The most common
complaints about students received by the University involve
• excessive noise (day or night)
• anti-social behaviour
• inconsiderate parking
• rubbish not put out correctly, not recycling rubbish or bins left out permanently,
obstructing access
The University is committed to responding to concerns in the community
over student behaviour and aims to encourage high standards of conduct.
These following pages aim to help you to be a good neighbour and to give you the
information you need to ensure that you have a happy year.
If you require any further advice or information please contact me on
0117 32 81366 or community@uwe.ac.uk
Or the Student Union Advice Shop on 0117 32 82571
www.uwesu.org/advice or
www1.uwe.ac.uk/aboutus/departmentsandservices/professionalservices/
communityliaison.aspx
Yours sincerely
Nigel England.
Community Liaison Manager

On moving in
- say hello
Introduce yourselves to your neighbours.
Find out if they have young children who
need to go to bed early or if they are
elderly. Do they work? Ask about rubbish
and recycling collections.
For collection days for Bristol see
www.bristol.gov.uk or for South
Gloucestershire www.southglos.gov.uk.
If you are on friendly terms with your
neighbour it will be easier for you to
appreciate any concerns they may have
and they will be more likely to approach
you if they have a problem.
Consider giving a mobile contact to your
neighbour in case of emergency.
Make yourself
at home
This will be your home for at least the
next year, so make an effort to become
part of the community. Get to know the
community and you’ll get a chance to
escape the student bubble and to make
friends with a much wider range of
people than you already have.
Consider joining your local residents
association. If there is a neighbourhood
watch, join in; students are prime targets
for burglaries so it makes sense to do
everything you can to protect yourself.
See www.avonandsomerset.police.
uk for Crime Prevention advice and
details of Community Groups in your
area. Look for opportunities to make
a positive contribution to your area,
check out www.uwe.ac.uk/volunteer for
volunteering opportunities.
Some Residents Associations hold
student welcome evenings. Look out for
an invite.
Volunteering can add valuable skills and
abilities to your Degree Citation which
employers will be looking for.
A very high percentage of students stay
in Bristol after graduation so your efforts
may pay dividends in the future.

Noise
Many of the houses in Bristol are old with
poor sound insulation which means that
noise travels easily through floors and
walls. What may not sound loud to you
may still be disturbing your neighbours.
If you are aware of your neighbours’
activities, they will probably also be aware
of yours. Avoid shouting, slamming doors
or running up and down stairs late at
night.
If you are chatting or entertaining late
try to
• Avoid using rooms that adjoin
neighbours’ bedrooms
• Position stereos, TVs and computers
away from adjoining walls
• Keep your doors and windows closed to
help prevent noise from carrying - noise
seems to travel a very long way at night!
Students often have no idea that they have
been disturbing their neighbours. Ask your
neighbours to pop round and let you know
if they have any problems.
Noise at night
When returning home late at night ensure
that noise is kept to a minimum. It’s easy
to unintentionally disturb the sleep of your
neighbours when there is less background
noise. Avoid raised voices, singing in the
street, revving car engines, car stereos
blaring out, and late night meetings at
your front door and keep the volume of
TVs, music or computer games low.

Parties
There are a few things that you can do
to minimise the chances of neighbours
being disturbed or complaining:
• If you are planning big event look into
hiring a venue.
• Give neighbours plenty of advance
warning and tell them what
(reasonable) time you expect the party
to finish – and stick to this!
• Give them a mobile number they can
call if they are worried or being kept
awake and then make sure someone
has the mobile on them.
• Avoid weeknights and try not to have
lots of parties at the same house, it’s
not fair on your neighbours.
• Don’t put your house details as a
bulletin on twitter or create a public
event on facebook or you could end
up with far more guests that you can
cope with. Remember that you will be
held responsible for the behaviour of
your guests (and any damage caused
to your property).
• Residents often feel too intimidated
to complain late at night in the middle
of a party so do check noise levels,
especially the bass. If you can hear the
music from outside, it’s too loud.
• If your party starts outdoors in
the summer move it indoors at a
reasonable time and keep doors and
windows closed to stop noise carrying.
• Don’t allow guests to hang around out
in your garden in the early hours of
the morning. Ask your guests to leave
quietly.
• Respond politely to requests by
neighbours to either end the party
or turn the music down (and keep it
down).
Anti social behaviour
That this is unacceptable should
go without saying but we still get
complaints about students climbing on
cars, letting off fireworks, urinating in
streets and gardens, playing football
in the street at 05:00, throwing eggs
or paint, putting up obscene pictures
outside their houses and even being
abusive to other residents. This is anti
social behaviour and is a criminal offence
that can result in prosecution.

Applying for a Council Tax exemption or Discount
All full-time students must apply for exemption or discount by filling in a Council Tax
Discount and Exemption Form: www.bristol.gov.uk/page/council-tax-exemptions. Proof of
your student status may be requested by the council at a later date. Individual exemption
certificates can be obtained from the ‘myuwe’ portal if required.
Moving into a bedsit: If your bedsit is a self-contained property then it will get its own bill.
If it is not, because you share basic facilities with other people living in the property, then
your landlord is liable for the Council Tax bill for the whole property
Students sharing with one employed person: If a student has a joint tenancy with a
non-student, then the non-student will get the Council Tax bill, but can apply for a 25%
discount based on your student status.
Students sharing with two or more employed persons: Full council tax will be charged
but the bill should only be in the names of the non-students.
International students: Your nationality will not stop you from having to pay Council Tax
if you do not qualify as a full-time student.
Contact details for Bristol City Council, Council Tax Office
E-mail Council.Tax@bristol.gov.uk
Visit the website www.bristol.gov.uk
Telephone: 0117 9222900
Textphone: 0117 3574444

Be warned!
If you make too much noise or behave
badly your neighbours may contact the
University, Noise Pollution Officers at Bristol
City Council or the Police in addition to
your landlord or agency.
Under the Noise Act 1996 City Council
Noise Officers have powers to deal
with noise complaints, including Noise
Abatement Notices, formal cautions, and
prosecution and in extreme cases involving
loud music, confiscation of the music
equipment.
Complaints about excessive noise or antisocial
behaviour are taken very seriously
by the University. Disciplinary action will
be taken against students where there are
substantiated cases of serious misconduct.
Responding
to complaints -
your response
If someone comes around or calls you to
complain there are a few golden rules on
how to respond:
• Never be rude or aggressive
(even if they are)
• Try to see things from their point of view
– one day you too may be up all night
with a baby that can’t sleep
• Say sorry – a heartfelt apology can
defuse most situations
• Look at possible solutions, could you
move the TV or even change the location
of the living room
• Contact UWE’s Community Liaison
Manager or Accommodation Manager
for advice or mediation.
• Finally, try not to do it again!

Cars
If, despite Bristol’s parking problems and
the University’s advice, you have a car,
please park it considerately, bearing in mind
that many residents use their cars daily for
work or to transport children or the elderly.
Please do not park on pavements as you
will obstruct access. Please also do not
block driveways where there is a car on the
drive. You can be fined and towed away if
the residents cannot get their car off the
driveway.
Some students only use their car to bring
belongings back and forth every term and
leave their cars on the street for most of the
term. Please consider whether the cost of
keeping a car (tax, insurance, etc) just for
occasional journeys makes financial sense.
Other residents do find it frustrating if they
can never park in front of their own homes
because another car is parked
there permanently.
Even better just don’t bring a car. Make
a positive choice for the environment and
your health. Walk cycle or take the bus
or train. Many of you will live within easy
walking or cycling distance or you can
take the Wessex Red bus - visit
http://www1.uwe.ac.uk/comingtouwe/
campusesmapsandtravel/bristoltravel/
uwebuses – UWE’s low cost service to
all the campuses. Consider cycling if you
haven’t before – Bristol is a cycling city
and routes and facilities are improving all
the time. Visit www.betterbybike.info for
cycling information.
Better by bike
Getting around
Many students migrate to the West of
England region either from elsewhere in the
country, or even abroad, so it’s always worth
taking some time to understand the cycling
conditions in your local area. Here’s a few
things we think might help:
Take a look at the Highway Code online to
find out the rules that apply to cyclists.
Read the Safer Cycling tips on our website
to learn some polite behaviours Make sure
you lock your bike well. Read our tips on
bicycle security and where to park.
Download or order our free cycle maps to
find out where the bike routes are in your
local area.
Cycling for fun and fitness
If you’re already a keen biker looking to get
more miles in, you might want to consider
some of our longer leisure routes and our
numerous off-road mountain bike trails.
You’ll also find plenty of people happy
to ride with you. There are over 30 local
cycling clubs who are always happy to take
on new members.
There are lots of fun annual cycling events
that take place across the region. These
include Bristol’s Biggest Bike Ride, the Great
Weston Ride, Action 100’s Bristol/Bath
to London ride, Bristol Cycle Festival and
Carnival, Bristol Naked Bike Ride, Bath Sky
Ride and plenty more besides.
Visit www.betterbybike.info for further
information.

Student parking
Students may only park in designated parking
spaces within Car Parks 1 and 20 at Frenchay
campus and the designated car parking
spaces at all other sites. All students must
display a validated car parking token whilst
parked on all sites between the hours of
09:30 and 17:30 Monday – Friday. Students
that live in accommodation at Frenchay
campus are not permitted to park or bring a
vehicle onto university property at any time.
Parking is then free on campus and on the
weekends. You need to give your registration
to the Gatehouse staff if you are parking over
night or on the weekends on campus.
See www.uwe.ac.uk/transport
for UWE’s Car Parking Policy.
Car parking in the Stoke Park
estate and residential streets
around campus locations
Under no circumstances should UWE staff
and students park vehicles in neighbouring
residential streets. Cars blocking exits from
properties in and around the estate may be
reported by residents to the police or local
authority, who can authorise fixed penalty
notices and vehicle removal. Also if cars are
parked dangerously on the road they can be
issued with Fixed Penalty Notices.
Please help us to maintain
a good relationship with our
surrounding communities.
UWE have Community guidelines in your
Diary and UWE Charter. Please abide by them.
You as UWE students have not only your
own reputation but the reputation of the
University to consider and uphold. Thank You.
Remember you will be looking for a job/
career shortly.
See www1.uwe.ac.uk/comingtouwe/
campusesmapsandtravel/bristoltravel/uwebuses
for details of UWE’s own bus service.
Visit www.bristolneighbours.com for further
help and advice re Community Living.

UWE Farmers’ Market 2012/13
On First Tuesday of the month
Where Main reception courtyard
Frenchay campus
When 10:00 till 15:00 in term time
Dates 2 October 6 November
4 December 5 February
5 March 26 March
Friendly market selling a wide range of delicious
fresh local produce, crafts, plants and more. Come along!
PLUS sustainability
week market 16 October
For further information
www.uwe.ac.uk/farmersmarket
E-mail sustainability@uwe.ac.uk
Telephone 0117 32 82659
www.uwe.ac.uk/farmersmarket
sustainability+action
U+WE taking action for a sustainable world

Refuse and recycling
Bristol City Council provides a kerbside recycling and
waste collection from the front of your house. Your
household will be provided with:
Green Box
The green box is used for plastic packaging
and bottles, metal cans and tins, cardboard
and Tetra Paks. Please keep the plastics
and metals on one side of the box and the
cardboard and Tetra Paks on the other.
Black Box
The black box is used for paper, glass
bottles and jars, clothes and shoes,
batteries, spectacles. Please put any
clothes and shoes in a plastic bag to keep
dry.
Brown food waste bin and smaller kitchen
caddy
Please keep the smaller brown caddy in the
kitchen, line it with newspaper or special
compostable bags and put all waste food
into it. Once full, please empty the small
caddy into larger brown bin that should be
locked (handle down at front of bin) and
kept outdoors.
Black wheelie bin
This bin only takes non-recyclable items,
for example, plastic bags, film plastic,
tissues and cotton wool, broken glass
(wrapped). Bristol has a no side-waste
policy, therefore bags left next to the
bin or piled on top of the bin will not be
collected.
Some people will not have a wheelie bin
as they have nowhere to store it, therefore
3 bags of waste can be put out instead
of a wheelie bin. Any extra bags will be
left behind by collectors. Please try and
keep your garden looking tidy and not a
dumping ground for black bags.
As little as 2 bags left out on the street
on non-collections days is classed as flytipping,
for which you can be fined. Please
think about where you store your rubbish.
The green box, black box and brown bin
are collected weekly and the black wheelie
bin is collected fortnightly. Please put
them out the front of your property by
7am on the day of collection and always
bring them back onto your property the
same day, after they have been emptied.

Garden Waste
If you need to dispose of grass cuttings
or other garden waste then you or your
landlord needs to buy some brown garden
waste sacks (£1 each) from Customer Service
Points around the city. Once full with garden
waste, call the Council on 0117 922 2100 to
tell them it needs picking up. Go to http://
www.bristol.gov.uk/page/garden-waste
for more information.
If you would like more recycling containers
(green box, black box or brown bin/caddy)
or are finding you have too much waste for
your wheelie bin, please e-mail recycling@
bristol.gov.uk or call 0117 9222 100.
If you don’t know when your collection day
is please visit https://www.bristol.gov.uk/
forms/collection-day-finder
End of year clear-outs
There are complaints every year at the end
of the summer term about mounds of
rubbish being left out by students that look
unsightly and smell extremely unpleasant as
well as obstructing the pavements. Please
ensure that you start clearing out early and
plan ahead to ensure that your rubbish is
disposed of before you move out.
Unwanted furniture or electrical items?
The following charities will take certain items
of furniture and appliances for free at their
discretion. Upholstered furniture should have
a label on it saying “carelessness causes fire”
otherwise it won’t be accepted.
The SOFA Project
Telephone: 0117 95 43567
E-mail: info@sofaproject.org.uk
www.sofaproject.org.uk
Will collect re-usable items of furniture and
electrical appliances free of charge. Gas
appliances cannot be accepted.
Emmaus
Telephone: 0117 95 40886
www.emmausbristol.org.uk
Collect in and around the Bristol Area. Do
not accept washing machines or cookers.
Too much rubbish?
If you have more rubbish than can be dealt
with on a normal collection day, you will
need to make your own arrangements.
Bristol City Council offer a Bulky Waste
Collection Service where they will remove
a maximum of three large items including
furniture, electrical items, washing machines
and mattresses for a small fee, currently £15
(as at 2008). Contact them on
0117 92 22100. Or www.bristol.gov.uk
If you have your own transport you
can use one of the rubbish and recycling
centre’s (tips)
St Philips Recycling Centre, Days Lane,
St Philips, BS2 0QS
Avonmouth Recycling Centre, Kingsweston
Lane, Avonmouth, BS11 0YS

Recycling your waste – what goes where
COLLECTED
WEEKLY
COLLECTED
WEEKLY
COLLECTED
WEEKLY
Green Box Black Box Brown Food
Caddy
Plastic bottles
Plastic food
containers
Food and drink
cans – rinsed out
please
Aerosols
Foil – cleaned
Cardboard –
including food
packaging
Tetrapaks –
cardboard drink
cartons
Paper,
newspapers,
magazines,
catalogues, junk
mail, flyers
Glass jars and
bottles – rinsed
out please
Clothes – in a
plastic bag to
keep dry
Shoes – tied
together and in
plastic bag
Batteries
Spectacles
Please Recycle and do your bit to help save the planet.
Why not cut this out and stick it up in your kitchen?
Tea bags and
coffee
Cooked and
uncooked food
Meat and fish
including bones
Fruit, vegetables,
peelings
Bread, pasta,
cereal and rice
Dairy products
and egg shells
COLLECTED
FORNIGHTLY
Black Wheelie
Bin
Any nonrecyclable
rubbish
Film plastic -
including plastic
bags, cling film
Tissue and
cotton wool
Broken glass

UWESU Student Lettings
Make Us Your First Stop For Finding Next Year’s Home
Register Online At:
www.uwesu.org/studentlettings
Call The Team on 0117 32 86600
Or Visit Us On Red Bar Patio, Frenchay Campus
Open Monday-Thursday 9-4:45 & Friday 9-4:15
Follow Us For The Latest Information:
twitter.com/student_letting facebook.com/StudentLettings

Welcome to Bristol
Bristol is a safe city to be a student in
providing you take some simple precautions
to reduce the possibility of becoming a
victim of crime. Crime levels are continuing
to reduce year on year in the city.
There are certain areas within the city,
(Bishopston, Cotham, Redland, Montpelier,
Clifton and Ashley Down) where students
are more likely to be victims of crime,
mainly burglary. These areas have a high
concentration of student houses and halls
of residence. Students also tend to have lots
of high value electrical goods so are easier
targets for the burglar. If you are not living
in these areas you could still be a victim of
burglary so take some simple precautions
and follow the advice on the website.
We have loads of helpful advice on the
Bristol Neighbours student website, because
we want you to have a safe and enjoyable
time studying here in Bristol.
www.bristolneighbours.co.uk
Simple advice to follow
• Lock your room door in halls, even if you
are only going down the corridor
• Make sure that main entrance doors shut
behind you and don’t let other people in
with you (tailgating)
• Make sure security measures are in place
if you are renting a shared house (quality
locks and bolts on front and back door
and window locks are a good start)
Remember that you are likely to have
many more electronic goods (computers,
Smartphones, Xboxes, Wii, Tablets,
Laptops, TVs etc) than most households
• Get home contents insurance. You
may be able to extend your parents’
home insurance policy for no extra cost.
Alternatively, many insurance companies
have competitive deals for students.
• During Christmas and summer holidays,
when it is likely your house will be empty
for a long time, implement additional
security measures, eg putting a timer on
lights or a radio, ask someone to come
to the house to keep an eye on it whilst
you are away.
For further information check out the Bristol
Neighbours website aimed at all students in
Bristol.
www.bristolneighbours.co.uk
Advice from the Safer Bristol Partnership

Safety in the home
A message from Avon Fire and Rescue Service
Let’s be honest, there isn’t anything
particularly exciting about fire safety is
there? So, as you move into your new home
there’s probably a million and one more
interesting things on your mind – but please
just take five minutes to read on because
fire really could affect you.
The fact is that students are one of the
groups most at risk of having a fire. There
are many reasons for this, from late night
cooking after a night out, smoking or
leaving the odd candle burning unattended.
You might not realise, but more than half
of all house fires in the area start in the
kitchen. And you’d be surprised at how
many of these are caused by embarrassed
students who have come in from a night
out, put something under the grill and
promptly fallen asleep. The lucky ones have
working smoke alarms or a neighbour to
thank for waking them up. But for others,
there isn’t such a happy ending.
You are probably like almost half the
population who think they would wake up
if they smelt smoke. The truth is if you had
a fire in your house just a few breaths of
smoke will numb your senses, rendering
you unconscious. Unless you are woken by
your smoke alarm or a neighbour, you may
never wake up.
If you’ve had a drink, please don’t cook –
why not buy a kebab or some chips?! Even
stone cold sober, people who put food on
to cook and then leave the kitchen, end up
making 999 calls to us almost every day of
the week. So remember, never leave your
cooking unattended and keep your grill
pans clean from fat build-up.
Despite your best efforts accidents can
happen. So please make sure you have a
smoke alarm and that it’s working. It’s very
tempting to take the batteries out to stop it
beeping every time you burn the toast but
it’s not worth the risk. Smoke alarms can
only save your life if they are working and it’s
your responsibility to check them regularly.
And remember if you have a fire, get out,
stay out and call 999.
If you would like to know more about all
aspects of Avon Fire & Rescue Service,
from fire safety and community events
to careers in the service, why not find us
on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or visit
www.avonfire.gov.uk

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2. Half a million books and e-books
3. Search across a range of online databases for
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4. 10,000+ journals – online and in print
5. Audiovisual items including DVDs
6. Silent, quiet and group study spaces
7. Internet access and WiFi
8. Help with referencing and study skills
9. Printing and photocopying facilities
10. Access to all campus libraries
24/7 opening
at Frenchay
Off campus
access
to online
resources
Help available
24/7: Ask a
Librarian
www.uwe.ac.uk/library
Bookable PCs
Frenchay and
Glenside

Useful Contacts
Bristol City Council - Main switchboard
0117 92 22000
Rubbish and Recycling Enquiries
0117 92 22100
Council Tax Office
0117 92 50981
Environmental Health Housing Team (North)
0117 90 38704
Environmental Health Housing Team (South)
0117 37 72532
Environmental Health Housing Team
0117 90 38980
(Inner City Team)
Environmental Health Noise Pollution
0117 92 22050
Trading Standards
0117 92 23689/92 23444
South Gloucestershire District Council -
Main Switchboard
01454 868009
Rubbish and Recycling enquiries
01454 868000
Council Tax Office
01454 868003
Environmental Protection
01454 868001
Housing Needs Team
01454 865496
Street Care
01454 868000
Useful Web Links
Disabled students advice:
www.uwe.ac.uk/students/studysupport/disabilityservices
International students advice:
www.uwe.ac.uk/international
Student Union Advice Shop:
www.uwesu,org/support/advice-centre/
Wessex Red: www1.uwe.ac.uk/comingtouwe/
campusesmapsandtravel/bristoltravel/uwebuses
Recycling: www.recycling-guide.org.uk
Water: www.water-guide.org.uk
Utilities
Bristol Water – Supply Queries
0845 7023797
British Gas
0845 4040506
Gas escape emergency number
0800 111999
HSE Gas Safety Advice Line
0800 300363
EDF Energy
0800 0151736
Wessex Water
0845 6002600
Other Useful Contacts
Student Union Advice Shop
0117 32 82571
Citizens Advice Bureau
0870 1212134
Energy Watch
08459 060708
OFCOM (Office of Communications)
020 7981 3040
Gas Safety Registered
0800 4085500
TV Licensing
0844 80 067 90
Tenancy Deposit Protection Service
0871 70 30 552
Tenancy Deposit Protection Scheme
0870 70 71 707
Electricity: www.electricity-guide.org.uk
Gas: www.gas-guide.org.uk
Community Liaison: www1.uwe.ac.uk/aboutus/
departmentsandservices/professionalservices/
communityliaison.aspx
Community living: www.bristolneighbours.com
Accreditation: www.privatehousinginformation.co.uk
Bristol City Council: www.bristol.gov.uk
South Glos Council: www.southglos.gov.uk
Sports: www.uwe.ac.uk/sport
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