Jul 16 2019

Like many universities, Royal Holloway is located in the heart of a residential area. We recognise the importance of our relationship with the local community and the impact that university life can have on everyone who lives in close proximity to the campus. 

Following the opening of the Emily Wilding Davison Building in 2017, the opening times of the gate that opens out into Spring Rise, the so called ‘back gate’, were revised to enable access and exit from the campus via that gate 24 hours per day. However, this level of access has resulted in a significant increase in complaints from people living locally who are being disturbed by people entering and leaving the campus late at night and in the early hours of the morning. 

Having monitored the situation closely over the last three terms and, in collaboration with the Students’ Union, having taken a number of mitigating actions to try and minimise the disruption being experienced by local people, College Executive has made the difficult decision to re-establish closed hours. From the next academic year (2019/20) the gate will be locked at 12.30am each night and will re-open at 5am. It will not be possible to use a swipe card to unlock the gate during these times.  

Twenty-four hour access to and from the campus via the back gate is something that the Students’ Union campaigned for and which the College supported. The decision to re-establish closed hours was not taken lightly; everyone has worked hard all year to try and manage the noise created by people coming and going late at night. However, the disruption being experienced by our neighbours is unsustainable. 

The hours when the gate will close and reopen will take into account maintaining access to the campus, including the library, for as long as possible, enabling people to catch the first morning train from Egham station and providing access to the gym which opens at 6.30am on weekdays.