Campaigning has paid off

Following the publication of a report about the Pantycelyn halls of residence at Aberystwyth University, members of Cymdeithas' local branch have said their campaigning work has paid off, although they still have concerns.

Manon Elin, a member of Cymdeithas yr Iaith's Pantycelyn branch said:

"The report contains most of the points we were calling for, so Pantycelyn is in a much better situation than this time last year. We were glad too that the first years we were as enthusiastic as we have been to keep the hall and have kept pressure on the University.

"There is no reason why the University Council cannot accept this report now. The University has been more than willing to spend money on brand new accommodation on Penglais Farm and establish a University campus branch in Mauritius. And if the University had made repairs as needed over the decades the hall would not have needed to close at all."

The report notes that Pantycelyn should reopen in September 2019. Welsh students have been accommodated in Penbryn hall this year, but with only three corridors for Welsh students, they feel this is not nearly enough.

Manon Elin added:

"Three more years is a long time to wait, especially since the temporary accommodation is not up to scratch. There is no community or social space in Penbryn hall for example. There will be a lot of students who have lost the opportunity to live in Pantycelyn but at least we can look forward to seeing hall alive again.

"We are however worried about the price of accommodation. Pantycelyn has been amongst the cheapest accommodation, at £15.50 per night, but the report estimates the cost could rise to £22.53 per night. Although it includes food, Pantycelyn would be the University's most expensive accommodation.”