[Steve G]

I'm not sure, but it wouldn't surprise me - they are out of the 60's and the rooms are a bit on the small side. Good fun to live in though, unless you're on floor 20.

here's the email that was sent out to staff and students:

Sent on behalf of Mr Garry East, Director of Estates

Commencement of work
Aston University Residences Project

Brief No 1 2nd January 2008

On 12 December 2007, the University Council gave its formal approval for the
commencement of work on Phase 1 of Aston's new student Residences.

This is part of a £200 million development which will transform the Aston Campus
over the next few years. Phase 1 will see the construction of 1,300 rooms, all with
en-suite facilities. This will be a tremendous improvement in the quality of life on
the campus and will enable us to continue to offer all first year and overseas
students on-site accommodation. It will also increase the number of rooms available
to our final year students.

The Phase 1 build is expected to take 110 weeks, beginning in May 2008 and will be
complete for the Autumn term 2010.

A building development of this size will inevitably cause inconvenience. We promise
to do everything possible to minimise any disruption to you and your visitors on
campus. The long-term results will certainly be worthwhile. Many students will
have left by the time the new residences are complete and will not personally
benefit. To them we especially ask: bear with us and think of the benefits for the
next students. The benefits you have now resulted from investments made (and
disruption) in earlier years.

You will begin to see changes on campus from early January 2008. The site is being
prepared so we can keep to that essential deadline of the new academic year in 2010.
These early works will be concentrated in the area around Woodcock Street and
Coleshill Street.

CHANGES TO CAR PARKING ON CAMPUS

Car Park 9 will be closed from 14 January 2008 as the contractors move onto site.
Staff will no longer be able to park their vehicles in Car Park 9 from this date.
Car Park 6 will remain open as usual.

Work will start to create a new entrance to the University on Jennens Road in late
January. This work is expected to last until the end of March. It is also expected
that the contractors will use the old nursery building as a base during this time.
The old nursery will soon be pulled down.

When Car Park 9 closes, the University will lose 130 of its current car parking
spaces. The replacement car park (to be built underneath the new sports pitch) will
be available at the end of the Phase 1 works.

Wherever possible, please use public transport for your journey to work from the New
Year to minimise the demand for car parking spaces on campus. All staff entitled to
the new car parking permit should now have been issued with one. These have been
allocated on a first come first served basis. Having a permit to park does not
guarantee a space on any particular day.

VISITOR CAR PARKING ON CAMPUS

Wherever possible, please direct your visitors to use the two adjacent public car
parks at Faraday Wharf and Millennium Point. These are a five minute walk from the
University, and details are on the University website.

Aston Security staff will still endeavour to meet requests for on-site parking, as
long as they are booked in advance. Spaces are limited.


UNIVERSITY SPORTS PITCH

The current University sports pitch will be taken out of use and the land handed
over to contractors on 31st March 2008. The area of land around the sports pitch
will start to be redeveloped between March and May 2008. This will be the
contractors work and stores area.

The University is currently investigating a site for a temporary sports pitch and
changing facilities on land behind the Sacks of Potatoes pub. The Estates Department
is endeavouring to minimise the time between the closure of the existing pitch and
the opening of these new temporary facilities. This is subject to the constraints
of planning permission.

If you have any questions, or would like further information about any of the points
in this email, please contact:

Ian Harrison, Head of Security, at
i.j.harrison@aston.ac.uk<mailto:i.j....@aston .ac.uk> for car parking inquiries
and Garry East, Director of Estates, at
g.east@aston.ac.uk<mailto:g.east@aston.ac.uk> for inquiries about the commencement
of building works.

We will bring you regular updates about the Residences Project building works
throughout the year.