Mayor urges Newport residents and students to work together over noise and parking issues
Permanent Newport residents and students just settling into the town need to work together to solve parking and noise issues, the town's mayor has said.
Councillor Peter Scott called for unity between those who live in the area and people who have just moved into Newport to go to Harper Adams University.
Complaints have been made over loud music in the early hours of the morning, as well as parking on footpaths in residential areas.
Councillor Scott said rather than taking to Facebook to complain about the issues, people would be better off speaking to the youngsters directly.
"Try and get on together," he said.
"Yes there are some issues, but there are ways to deal with them. Show some tolerance, maybe knock on the door of the student hours and have a quiet chat. That's better than calling them out on social media and putting pictures of their cars online.
"I don't want people to start causing unrest where there isn't any, where a pleasant conversation could solver the problem."
There is usually a spike in the number of complaints about students at around this time of year, when people living away from their parents for the first time move to the area.
"We get these problems or similar every year," Councillor Scott said.
"Certainly with freshers, they're in a strange town for the first time. They need to learn the rules like everybody else. The university is doing its best to teach them how.
"But let's have some give and take and try to get on. I'm sure if you explain to a student that you don't park on the pavement, they won't do it.
"We're all residents of Newport, whether temporary or permanent."
Councillor Scott said that complaints should go to Harper Adams directly, unless there is anti-social behaviour, in which case call police on 101.
