Falmouth University is told "enough is enough" and to build more student accommodation at Penryn campus at Tremough as local families claim they are being pushed out

A posting by David Saunby on his Facebook page Falmouth Down the Years, in which he called for residents to say "enough is enough" to the universities, attracted around 60 comments in just three days. He drew attention to the fact that pre-application advice is being sought for plans to change the future use of the Rosslyn Hotel.

Permission already exists to replace the hotel with 33 retirement apartments, but there are plans now to alter that to create student accommodation instead. It has also been suggested that the site at Ponsharden, which has consent for a new Sainsbury's supermarket, along with a former quarry in Penwerris Lane and even the Quarry car park have been considered for student accommodation.

Although Mr Saunby is a town and county councillor, he has made his comments on Facebook and to The Packet as a resident. He said: "It seems to me that the university is putting immense pressure on Falmouth and Penryn for accommodation for its students, due to its expansion, and at the last count an extra 3,500 will be coming, which will take it up to 8,000 students.

"I honestly believe that Falmouth is slowly but surely turning into a student town, where our local young families that have been born and bred here will find it more and more difficult to find homes within the town, and are slowly being forced out. I believe there is plenty of room to build accommodation on the campus, without coming into the town.

"About a week ago, over 10,000 Liverpool football supporters walked out of Anfield over increasing ticket prices, chanting 'enough is enough.' Maybe it's about time the people of Falmouth started shouting 'enough is enough' to the university. There is an old saying, 'you can't put a quart into a pint pot.' Falmouth is a pint pot, and is creaking at the seams, mainly due to the expansion of the university and the influx of students."

Mr Saunby's comments received support from several people including Marie Ryan who said: "Arwenack has turned into a student village. Now that Arwenack is full up, they are spreading into other areas of Falmouth which are affordable thus taking away more family homes."

Hilary Lomas said: "Give it another ten years and Falmouth will be the University Town of Cornwall. If you are not already in your retirement home or own a house now, you might as well move out while the going is good. They need to build accommodation on campus, they are taking over the town."

Falmouth Town Council is addressing the proliferation of student housing by bringing in an Article 4 direction which will restrict the number of houses of multiple occupation in an area. This will not, however, be introduced until February 2017.

The universities though will be introducing additional on-campus accommodation. A spokesmand for FX Plus, the service delivery partner of Falmouth University and the University of Exeter, said: "Further to securing additional residences, work is underway to develop 1,000 bed spaces at Penryn Campus, with the first phase of approximately 500 rooms due to open in September 2018. Work is also continuing to stimulate the private sector and increase the provision of purpose built student accommodation in Falmouth, Penryn and surrounding areas.”