On Thursday 8 January, Izzy and I sat down with Helen Godwin, the Mayor of the West of England Combined Authority (WECA). It was our first proper opportunity to speak with her since she took office, and we wanted to make sure students’ voices were firmly on her radar. We began by asking about her plans for the region and how she sees them affecting students directly. As you might expect, the answers were quite broad and unspecific but it’s opened the door for us to continue raising issues directly with her.

One of the biggest frustrations we highlighted was WECA’s long-standing reluctance to fund student-specific transport schemes. Despite the fact that students make up a huge portion of bus users, WECA has historically avoided supporting routes or subsidies designed with students in mind. We pushed this point hard. After the meeting I followed up with an email directly to Helen laying out the case for WECA funding for the U4 route so it can continue running regularly next year, rather than slipping back to an hourly timetable, which would be a disaster for students who rely on it (UPDATE: I am happy to announce that U4 has secured funding until next year).

Izzy also brought up the proposed changes in the local plan around three-bedroom HMOs. Students are understandably worried about how these changes could restrict housing options and drive up costs. Helen told us she would speak personally to Kevin Guy, the leader of the local council and Deputy Mayor of WECA, about the issue. It’s not a promise of action yet, but it’s a direct line to someone who can influence the policy, and that’s a start. So although we don’t have any direct immediate change, it’s great that we’re starting to build these important relationships and we will continue to push on the big issues that really affect you!

Watch this space for further updates!