JEAN Lawn's letter ("Use the Terry's site", July 9) is another attempt by a small campaigning group to thwart the University of York's plans to expand on the most suitable site from the point of view of the city and the university. I have not heard of the plans to bulldoze Heslington or destroy it by other means.

Green belts were originally set up to give cities lungs because of the problems of pollution caused by smoke from coal fires prior to smoke-free legislation. One of the Evening Press's excellent aerial photographs may illustrate the point that there are enough green fields beyond the site and the A64 to re-site central London and have space to spare.

The site, now under agricultural use, has altered radically during recent years, evidenced by the isolated trees which used to be part of hedgerows around smaller fields. If present trends to larger and larger fields continues for another 15 years we may end up with one vast field of oil seed rape instead of a pleasant, well-planned campus.

It makes sense to allow the development next to the present campus. The Terry's site has its own traffic congestion problems, especially during race meetings. If the new campus is sited there it will cause additional cross-town traffic between the two separate sites.

If the objectors get an expensive public inquiry, it will inevitably end up on an inspector's desk and he, or she, will be confronted with yet another case of special pleading from people not wanting an essential development in their backyard.

JM Purves,

Badger Hill,

York.

Updated: 11:19 Tuesday, July 13, 2004