A UNIVERSITY college has pledged to be a good neighbour to people living nearby when it moves into new accommodation in the next few weeks.

Durham University’s Ustinov College will be moving to its new accommodation in Neville’s Cross next month.

Ian Macdonald, business operations manager, was speaking at a Durham County Council committee meeting, where the college was granted a licence for its bar in the accommodation in Sheraton Park.

The postgraduate college has agreed to a number of conditions to address concerns from residents, including a restriction on students from other colleges visiting the bar.

It means other students living in Sheraton Park and the Neville’s Cross area will not be able to use the facility.

Mr Macdonald said: “We have every intention of being good neighbours to the people of Neville’s Cross. This restriction is something that makes Ustinov unique and another step to make sure the local community is not disturbed by our presence.”

Alan Doig, from the Neville’s Cross Community Association: “Our concern is in the detail rather than the principle. We have had a lot of support in principal of the college and our concerns are not with the present regime but this is for 25 years.

“Our concern is that the council gets the details now so things are not different in future years.”

Though Ustinov agreed to conditions relating to other college students using the bar, it said it would not refuse entry to college members not living on the site.

Describing the bar as the hub of the college community, Jamie Graham, president of the graduate common room, said: “A college is not defined by the building but the people that make it a community. I don’t see why any member should be disenfranchised or socially isolated because they don’t live at Sheraton Park.

“Living in college is a luxury many students can’t afford.”

The college has applied for licensed premises with capacity for 300 people, to operate between 7.30pm and 11pm Monday to Friday and between 2pm and 11pm on Saturdays and Sundays.

It has also asked for extended opening hours to 2am or no more than six occasion a year to allow it to put on music events, which Mr Macdonald said had been reduced from the 15 events currently held.

Approving the licence, councillor Colin Carr praised the work done on the application. He said: “I hope there’s not going to be any disturbance. I’ve never seen anything done in so much depth.”