I’d like to start by thanking a few people-UPP- sponsors, Unipol for facilitating, DCLG for hosting, and the guest speakers and student officer participants without whom this wouldn’t have happened.

I’m very proud to be presenting this report on behalf of the National Union of Students’ Welfare and Students Rights campaign.

On a personal level, I’m pleased to be presenting this piece of work I my final weeks in office. If I had to identify one issue which has really taken off during my two years in NUS, it is this one of ‘studentification’. From conferences, to media coverage, to work of student unions locally, this is becoming an increasingly prominent issue, and the the production if this report for me symbolises a change in stance for NUS’ position on the issue.

No longer will I, or my successor Ama, be standing up at conferences, and talking only about the positive contributions make to their local communities both economically and socially, volunteering 4 times as much as the average person.

Of course, we’ll still do that, but we’ll also be realistic about the fact that there is always a small minority of inconsiderate residents in every community, and WHEN this is students we’ll say that it’s right and proper those students be pulled up on their unacceptable behaviour. I believe its right and proper that NUS has a duty to take this position, not only for the sake of permanent residents but also for other students whose quality of life may be being affected.

We’ll be able to draw clear lines in the sand that aren’t about passing the buck, but about soving local community problems holistically. Be it old sofas in the back yard, too much rubbish by the bins, or increased crime rates, this report will help us get beyond these negatives students bring to their local area, and empower students unions across the UK to forge long-standing, productive relationships with local councils, landlord groups, residents associations and police forces in order to improve the community to the mutual benefit of all residents, students or not.

Because students ARE residents- they reside in this community, and they are also part of the community rather than existing in a separate bubble. They are simply the facts and by embracing this truth I’m confident we’ll see positive results.

But one thing we’ll continue to stand clear on is this: our opposition to additional licensing to restrict the number of students in a given area. Of course we want balanced communities, but additional licensing isn’t the solution to this. Banning students from living in certain areas will not solve problems. Or should it be acceptable to promote the idea that students should be locked up in a city-centre new build private hall of residence for their three years, as some groups like to suggest.

Let us be clear about this- there are 10s of 1000s of empty bedrooms in city-living halls of residence in cities across the UK, from Leeds to Nottingham, Manchester to Liverpool. That’s because students are actively CHOOSING to integrate themselves into local communities as part of their student experience.

We should ALL be celebrating and capitalising on this.

I hope that from today, with this report in our hands, we may start to.

Thank you.