The number of student properties in Reading has been revealed.

Of the 74,804 residential properties in Reading Borough, 2,970 of them are being occupied by full-time students.

That means 3.9 per cent of properties in the town are dedicated for students, which has implications as students do not have to pay council tax.

The student population presents other challenges and possibilities as well.

Recently, the University of Reading funded an extra bin collection after bins were spotted overflowing and recycling bins were contaminated with general waste in Blenheim Road, an area popular with students.

READ MORE: Contaminated and overflowing bins in Reading disposed of

Yet the university was  estimated to contribute £420 million to the economy of Reading and Wokingham in 2016/17.

The university has also hired a new community liaison, Molli Cleaver, to manage community relations, and will launch a Hello Neighbour campaign in September to help students living in private accommodation to integrate.

Commenting on the impact of the university on the town, a spokesperson said: “The University is a big part of the local community. We know that around half of all adults under 25 in Reading Borough are students of the University of Reading.

“Our 17,000 students and around 4,000 members of staff in Reading play a huge role in the social, cultural, and economic life of our town.

“The university contributes more than three-quarters of a billion pounds to the economy, most of which stays in the local area and supports jobs, businesses and services for the people of Reading.

“Reading has a relatively high numbers of student rooms in halls of residence on our campuses, compared to most other universities, with around 5,000 rooms provided by the university and its accommodation partner, UPP.

“In addition, there are lots of other halls of residence operated by private providers where students can choose to live.

“Most students choose to live in a room in halls during their first year at university, and some choose to live in halls throughout all their years of study. Most opt to spend at least some time living in the town.

“Being an active part of the local community is a key part of our mission as a university.

“We are conscious of the many types of impact that we can have as a University on the local area, and we work closely with both Reading and Wokingham borough councils and many neighbourhood groups to build our positive impact.”

READ MORE: Awful cases of overstuffed bins and flytipping in Reading

The eponymous university is not the only university in town either, as the University of West London runs the Berkshire Institute for Health from Fountain House in Reading’s town centre.

The building is located close to the Minster Quarter, where the council has begun a search for a developer to transform the area.

The number of student properties was revealed in a Freedom of Information Request by Jamie Dixon, which was answered by a Reading Borough Council officer in March.