Renovated in 2017 and housing up to 452 students, Sidney Webb House offers ensuite rooms from about £210 per week. After living here during my first year, heres what I have to say...
The Room
Space:
The room is decorated basically but has everything you would need. With the queen bed pushed against the wall and just over 10sqm of floor space, the room doesn't feel cramped.
Storage:
The wardrobe has two hanging rails and some cubby holes too. There are two sets of drawers along with storage under the desk and above the bed. The mattress can also be lifted up to reveal some additional space under the bed, which is a good place for suitcases. Overall, the storage space in the room was enough for me.
Desk:
The desk is a good size. Along the wall with the desk on, there are two double plug sockets (one with 2 USB ports too), heating control, ethernet and coax connectors for TV and FM radio.
Heating and Ventilation:
The heater uses a motion detector. If it does not detect motion, the controller will turn off the heating after a period of time. While this is not generally an issue, it can leave the room quite cold in the morning.
Most rooms have one window (the ones on the 6th floor have two slightly smaller ones). There are restrictors on them, preventing them from being opened very far. Some lower floor rooms can request for their window to be fully unlocked to improve ventilation. The windows can also be quite draughty when it is windy outside. The curtains provided aren't exactly anything to look at, but they do a good job of blocking out the light.
Internet:
Both WiFi and ethernet is available in every room. Generally connection to the WiFi is fine, but it would be worthwhile getting an ethernet cable for when it does occasionally cut out.
Pros:
Cons:
Ensuite Bathroom
All rooms at Sidney Webb are ensuite. Bathrooms comprise of a toilet, sink and shower in a wet-room configuration.
Due to the wet-room bathroom, everything in there gets wet. While at first I thought this would be a massive inconvenience, over time I have gotten used to it. It is generally completely dry within 2 hours of showering.
Shared Kitchen
In a flat of 7/8 students, there are two sinks, two fridge/freezers, two ovens and two hobs, a microwave, kettle and toaster. The kitchen also has a sofa and bar peninsula for eating at, though most people just ate in their rooms in my flat.
Fridge / Freezer:
There is enough space for each person to get a shelf in both the fridge and the freezer. I was able to take two drawers in the freezer though, as it was quite underused by my flatmates.
Cooking Facilities:
The ovens and hobs provided ample space for cooking. There was never a situation where we needed more cooking space.
The hobs are electric and take quite a while to heat up. A timer system has to be activated before the hob turns on. This counts down to make sure the hob is not left unattended for long periods of time. While this is great for safety, it can get annoying at times.
Storage:
The kitchen had enough storage space that we could each take two cupboards for ourselves.
Other:
There is also a vacuum cleaner and ironing board (though no iron) in the kitchen too. The door features an alarm to make sure it is not left open, since it is a fire door.
Pros:
Cons:
Laundry Facilities
Laundry facilities are provided by Circuit Laundry.
The 'CircuitLaundryPlus' app has to be used to activate the machines. The app can be faulty and the estimated wash times are usually incorrect, so plan for your washing to take longer than expected.
My advice would be to get an airer for your room. There are plenty of options at retailers fairly close to Sidney Webb, such as Argos and Tesco.
Wash: £3.40
Dry: £1.70
Pros:
Cons:
Gym, Study Spaces and Common Room:
Gym:
The gym is basically equipped with cardio equipment. It features rowing machines, static bicycles and a treadmill.
Study Spaces:
Sidney Webb has 2 study spots. There is a (paid) printer and desks to use.
Common Room:
The common room is an open space for socialising. There are sofas and a pool table.
General Condition
Cleaning:
Kitchen and communal spaces are generally cleaned fortnightly.
Maintenance:
Maintenance requests are submitted through the 'MyUnite' app. Requests are fairly quickly allocated, but usually not actually fixed for quite some time unless the issue is quite serious.
Waste:
The outside bin store separates general waste and mixed recycling. Southwark recycles any product that has the label 'Widely Recycled' or 'Check Local Recycling' (Link: Council Website).
Proximity to Campus and the Area
LSE:
Walking to campus takes 40+ minutes.
The closest other LSE residence is Bankside, which is within walking distance. Sidney Webb is quite disconnected from the other LSE halls of residence.
Shopping:
Sainsbury's (Local) - Across the Street
Lidl - 10 minute walk
Tesco and Argos - 20 minute walk
Asda - 30 minute walk
Postage:
Parcels can be collected from the reception, though (in my experience) they are rarely there. Letters are placed in individual post boxes in reception for each flat, so can be retrieved at any time.
There is a post box across the road and a post office within a 10 minute walk for posting mail. Amazon parcels can also be collected from an Amazon Locker that is around a 10 minute walk away, which is usually more convenient than waiting for reception.
Southwark / Borough Area:
The area is fairly residential and quiet, so seems quite out of touch with the rest of London despite how central it is. Generally, I have felt quite safe, even at night.
The closest Tube stop is Borough, which only has the Northern Line. Elephant and Castle is a bit further away but has the Northern Line and the Bakerloo Line.
Other Students living at Sidney Webb House
Due to there being a large proportion of 3rd+ years and postgraduates, there aren't loads of freshers. That being said, I found myself still realising that there were more people from my course at Sidney Webb even in Lent Term.
Sidney Webb is definitely not the most social LSE hall, but its proximity to Bankside and transport allows you to socialise and then return to a quiet nights sleep.
Cost (2021/2)
Contract: 40 Weeks
Weekly: ~ £211.75
Annual: ~ £8439.70
Overall Conclusions
Overall, Sidney Webb is good value for money compared with other student accommodation and private lets available in London.
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