– When the municipality says yes and both the university and the students support the plans, it is strange that Statsbygg should put sticks in the wheel and be negative, says Sara Beitz, who is the leader of the student organization in Stavanger (Stor). She envisages a field of grass on the campus of the University of Stavanger (UiS) where she hopes that they can soon start building 400 student housing. If the plans are realised, it will mean a lot for the waiting list situation. Yesterday it emerged that there are around 17,000 students in the dormitory queue across the country. More than half the queue – If we get started now, the waiting list could be more than halved in Stavanger for the next start of studies, says Beitz. In connection with the case yesterday, the minister for higher education, Ola Borten Moe, said that the government wants to increase the pace of building new student housing. But in Stavanger right now it is the state that has been slow to wait, according to both the student organisation, the association and the management at the university. – It is very important to make good progress here, and it could have gone faster with Statsbygg, says Director of Building and Land Management at UiS, Frode Alvheim to news. This year, 70 new student residences opened on campus at UiS, ten seconds after they were made available they were torn down. Photo: Josef Benoni Ness Tveit / news Statsbygg: – We have not said no. It is Statsbygg that owns the land on which the university stands, and that is why they must be part of the team when a building project is to be started. And in Statsbygg, they are not sure that the wishes of the Student Union in Stavanger (SiS) are the best. Even if both the university and the student organization think so. Statsbygg believes that the neighboring plot must also be assessed. Frode Alvheim is director of building and land management at the University of Stavanger. They support the student association’s proposal and think it is a shame if it takes an unnecessarily long time to get land ready for construction. Photo: UiS / UiS – We have not said no, but we want this to be discussed and for a dialogue to arise. We have not concluded yet, says director of communications at Statsbygg Hege Njaa Aschim. She further says that she understands that there is a strong desire for a conclusion in the matter. Hege Njaa Aschim is communications director at Statsbygg. She says that it would be irresponsible of the plot owners not to make a proper investigation. Photo: Geir Anders Rybakken Ørslien / Statsbygg – What do you think about the fact that it is claimed that Statsbygg put a stick in the wheel for the project? – I think it is unnecessary to criticize the process we are in. We are in a process in which everyone participates, and it would be irresponsible if we did not sort out the land basis well enough when we have to ensure that student housing is built which must also have a good function in the future. Will not sacrifice parking spaces Tomta Statsbygg maintains that an alternative is close by and is already paved. Now it is used for parking. According to Statsbygg, this plot of land may be better suited to build on. This is the plot of land, between the new hospital in Stavanger and the university, where both SiS, Stor and UiS will have new student housing. Photo: Josef Benoni Ness Tveit / news For the student organisation, the most important thing is that student housing is built, and that it happens quickly. But Sara Beitz also admits that she does not want the students to lose parking spaces. – For the students, they still need parking spaces, when the public transport service has improved, these can rather be built down. – In addition, the other plot is smaller, so there will be space for fewer student residences there, she concludes.
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