The University of the Arts London (UAL) is facing ongoing criticism from staff and students over its new London College of Communication (LCC) building, set to open in Elephant and Castle in September 2027. The dispute centers on the planned closure of the only student union bar, concerns over staff pay and outsourced contracts, and a lack of consultation on the building's design.
Darkroom Bar closure sparks protest
The Darkroom Bar, a student-run venue in the existing LCC building, is open exclusively to students and staff across all UAL campuses. Students are employed as bar staff, and the space serves as a key meeting hub for student clubs and societies. However, plans for the new building, which will house more than 5,000 students and over 500 staff, do not include a student union bar or any student-run community space. According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), food and beverage provision in the new building is set to be run by "private outsourced companies."
A UAL spokesperson said: "While there will not be a permanent bar, there will be flexible student-led spaces including a large activity space reserved for Arts SU, decided through years of consultation with student union representatives. The new building also includes 20 per cent more Technical Resources space, including specialist facilities such as a cinema and double-height studios for film, photography and TV." The spokesperson added that gathering feedback from staff and students remains a "priority" and improvements will be made where needed.
Rahul Patel, a lecturer at Central Saint Martins and former Joint Branch Secretary for the University and College Union (UCU) at UAL, accused the university of "hyper-corporatisation." He said: "For decades and decades, [students] have been provided with their own space, their own chance to run a student union bar - that provides agency to them. They're not under instruction, and so they feel after being in school and being told what to do, the university experience becomes paramount."
Patel also criticized the impact on the local community, saying: "LCC broadly reflects the community, and the community is there in Elephant and Castle, but it's being decimated by these corporate decisions - accountable to no-one. And when they're put on the spot, the only thing that counts is greed and money over people. Where - apart from the canteen - where do students locally go and eat in Elephant and Castle? It's called Pret a Manger."
Earlier this year, a change.org petition launched by LCC Student Officer Zaine Cowan called for the bar to be saved. As of October 22, it had 1,719 signatures. "It's not our obsession with a bar, but it is about a self-run space," Patel added.
Staff excluded from design process
UCU has also raised concerns that staff were not fairly involved in the design of the new building, and that teaching has not been designed with "due consideration." According to a survey by a local UCU branch, only 4.3 per cent of staff thought the design had been produced in a fair and transparent way. Additionally, 85.3 per cent of UCU members, including managers and professors, said they had not been given opportunities to be involved in the designing and planning of the new building.
A UAL spokesperson said over 600 staff and students were involved in workshops that helped shape decisions on teaching, technical, and student spaces within the new building.
Pay gaps and outsourced contracts
The dispute is part of a wider row between UCU and UAL over staff pay and outsourced contracts. UCU members claim some cleaning staff have experienced "inferior" holiday leave, parental leave, sick pay, and pensions schemes. Dr Kevin Biderman, lecturer and LCC UCU branch co-chair, said: "At the same time senior management is degrading existing agreements, further casualising part-time and hourly paid staff. This increases the pay gaps for Black and Brown and LGBTQIA staff - many of whom are in these roles. We will not sit by and watch while the university attacks our most vulnerable members."
A UAL spokesperson said its cleaning contracts have "long included" London Living Wage, predictable hours, and enhanced annual leave and sick pay above the statutory minimum and sector average. Further improvements to sick pay, parental leave, annual leave, minimum contracted hours, and pension provisions will be introduced from December. On pay gaps, the spokesperson said: "While positive progress is being made, we recognise there is more work to do. Some pay gap measures increased, while others decreased and we remain focused on improving representation in senior roles and addressing inequalities experienced by staff that may not always be reflected in quantitative data alone."
Concerns were also raised over UAL's removal of its Trans and Non-Binary Inclusion Policy in April 2025, which was done without "any consultation." A UAL spokesperson said they recognize the concern and clarified: "This was not a change in our commitment to Trans and Non-Binary staff and students, but took place as we considered an evolving legal and regulatory landscape. Our commitment to supporting Trans and Non-Binary staff and students is unchanged. Our Dignity at Work and Student Diversity policies remain in place."
Student perspectives and future action
Glua, a former UAL student who is Trans, said: "I would say that I've definitely had my issues with UAL, but on a course level, it's been great. There is amazing staff, amazing lecturers, the programmes are really well designed and tailored to students' needs - there's a reason I did both my Bachelor of Arts and my Masters there." Glua added that it was important for Trans people to speak about their experiences, noting UAL has "one of the highest percentages of Trans staff and students, but there are very few that are necessarily willing to speak on those issues."
Earlier this summer, students, staff, unions, and local community groups staged a 'UAHell' protest outside the existing LCC building, coinciding with an LCC open day. The LDRS understands UCU has not ruled out future strike action. A UAL spokesperson said: "We recognise that members of the UAL community will have different views on the university's decisions and priorities, and we value feedback and perspectives shared through our established consultation and engagement processes. Listening to staff and students, communicating openly about change and taking feedback into account are central to how we make decisions as we work collectively towards UAL's long-term goals."
