Gonville & Caius students prepare to draft a second open letter after uproar over “building site” accommodation, as they face “unbelievably disruptive” levels of noise that render rooms close to uninhabitable during the day.

St Michael’s Court is currently undergoing renovations as part of the College’s decarbonisation project, which will install air source heat pumps onto college roofs.

Maddie, a Caius student, said, “The noise in Mikes is unbelievably disruptive, making it impossible to concentrate or work”.

Another student told Varsity about the “loud banging starting as early as 7:45”. “It feels like I’m paying for a place to sleep, since my room is unusable during the day,” they continued.

This is not the first time concerns have been raised, as it follows a previous open letter sent in March about the building works in St Michael’s Court.

At the time, students condemned it as “uninhabitable, unsafe, and entirely unsuitable for study or daily life”.

Now, students are preparing a second open letter to pressure Caius for change.

According to students, the College briefed the student body prior to the accommodation ballot about the fact there may be “some noise” in the court, and offered a 10% rent reduction to accommodate this.

However, students criticised the unclear communication, with one stating “the problem isn’t just the building work, but the way Caius have handled it.”

When students requested an increased rent reduction to reflect the level of disruption, the College stated they were unable to help in this regard, and students were forwarded on to the Gonville & Caius Student Union (GCSU) to try and initiate a further reduction.

Student rooms are also accessed frequently by builders as part of the works.

The College told students scaffolding would be removed from October 6th, and would mostly be gone by early November. However, students report most of the scaffolding currently remains.

In an email sent to students living in the accomodation, the Caius Domestic Bursar wrote: “If the noise is a nuisance, please do make use of the study space available in the Library, the Old Courts café, or the communal spaces in the Aston Webb Building”.

One student reported having a hole in his roof for a short period, as the glass in a skylight in his room was cut out and covered with a wooden plank.

A Gonville & Caius College spokesperson told Varsity:

“We are delighted with the refurbishment of the Aston Webb Building at A to F St Michael’s Court. The building has been modernised while retaining period features to improve the student experience. The roof work is two months ahead of schedule, and we hope any minor disruption caused is mitigated by the early conclusion of the project.”