ON first reading the letter from J M Purves of Badger Hill (June 15), I thought it was written tongue in cheek, then realised he/she was serious.

We have lived in Heslington since 1959 and then it was a "rural idyll". There were several working farms in Main Street, a village post office/shop, a butcher, a newsagent and two public houses. We had a local fruit and veg delivery by horse and cart. There were no traffic problems. Then the university came.

Now we have four banks (originally five) which should have been on the campus and are now also used by anyone who cannot park in York, causing parking problems. Our two public houses are filled with hard-up students.

The newsagent is an "estate agent" - merely a letting agency for student accommodation. Any houses for sale in the area are bought and let to students.

If J M Purves wants to live in a student ghetto such as Headingley in Leeds, he/she is in a minority. The "upmarket food store" and hairdressing salon were not opened with locals in mind. The one remaining farm will go once its land is swallowed up by the proposed new campus.

Heslington and Badger Hill residents did not ask for private roads (mentioned by previous correspondents). Apart from rush hours we can cope with the present traffic levels but do not want it increased by the proposed new campus.

City of York Council suggested various traffic calming measures such as bollards because they are obviously in favour of the new campus and can foresee the consequences of the extra traffic.

York is not as large as Leeds, Manchester and Sheffield and its present university campus would seem to be quite adequate.

Freda Tolhurst,

Hall Park,

Heslington, York.

Updated: 10:18 Wednesday, June 23, 2004