The number of student houses in Jesmond has increased by a quarter since 2007, figures uncovered by JesmondLocal show.

One in three properties in Jesmond are registered as Class N student exemptions for the purpose of council tax, according to data found in an appendix of a report tabled at a council meeting in September.

For several months JesmondLocal has sought to establish the current size of Jesmond’s student population following permanent residents’ concerns that the area is slowly being taken over by students. One Jesmond resident reported being told by a student, following a complaint about anti-social behaviour, that she should not have chosen to live “in a student area”.

JesmondLocal has reported on concerns that anti-social behaviour has increased this year, driven by students.

The information in the report, which is dated to an unknown time in 2016, corroborates information JesmondLocal received from the council following a freedom of information request.

As of October 26th 2016 there were 12,115 properties in the NE2 postcode area registered for council tax, 3,450 of which were student exemptions.

The total number of student houses in Jesmond has increased by 583 in North and South Jesmond between 2007 and 2016.

In 2012, Newcastle City Council introduced the so-called Article 4 direction, which prevents family homes being converted into houses of multiple occupancy (HMOs) without the landlord successfully applying for planning permission.

Nearly 1,000 houses across Jesmond were HMOs, according to a database seen by JesmondLocal in November 2015. However, in some rare cases landlords have unlawfully let out homes to students without being HMO-registered, as JesmondLocal reported in October 2016.

In order to establish the impact of the Article 4 direction, which should in theory have stabilised student house numbers in Jesmond since its introduction, JesmondLocal asked for a detailed year-on-year breakdown of how the share of student housing in the area has changed in the last five years using freedom of information laws, but was told the council was unable to extract this data.

Following further searches, JesmondLocal found less detailed, but nonetheless insightful, data showing how Jesmond’s student population has increased.

Tony Waterston of the Jesmond Residents’ Association (JRA) told JesmondLocal he has a “strong impression” that some permanent residents are wanting to leave the area because of the influx of students in recent years.

Waterston stated that it was not because residents were “anti-student” but rather there is a significant problem with the distribution of student and HMO housing in the area. He argued student housing is too concentrated in and around the same streets – with hotspots around Osborne Road, for instance – and added that landlords should take a firmer stance on the appearance of HMOs, making sure gardens are tidy and bins are emptied correctly.

Dan Perry, Labour councillor for North Jesmond, also told JesmondLocal permanent residents “do sometimes raise concerns about issues that may on specific occasions be attributable to a student household.” He added that many people – both students and non-students – see Jesmond as an attractive area to live.

The report also summarises that the council wants controls on HMO developments to stay in place and to ensure sustainability for local areas.