CAMPAIGNERS against the University of York's expansion plans are calling for conditions to be imposed on campus chiefs to prevent students parking in their village.

Heslington Village Trust has joined forces with Heslington Parish Council in opposing the Heslington East proposals for a 65-hectare extension to the campus.

Trust members have spoken out in a bid to defend their community from the feared onslaught of hundreds of new car-owning undergraduates.

Trust secretary Bill McClean, pictured, told the public inquiry into the expansion plans that students with campus accommodation would have to park somewhere.

He insisted any survey of students' parking should be done out of term time, to show the impact on residential streets. He said: "There are no cars in my street during July to September, but it is packed during term time. There's been a failure in the past to address this."

Mr McClean stressed parking problems would occur as soon as students arrived.

Peter Evely, City of York Council's head of network management, said: "I am aware, from copious correspondence from people in the village, that there are a lot of allegations about parking by students. It is invariably not possible for me to verify that. We need to make certain that in future we are able to substantiate that."

He stressed any parking problem "'has to be allowed to develop for the benefit of fairness" before action was taken.

"We can't prejudge that university measures will not work. We can't just say that everyone who parks there in Heslington is to do with the university. That has to be proved. The traffic regulatory process has to go through the statutory process.

"It is inconceivable that I would not receive objections to the introduction of residents' parking without any justification.

"It has to be demonstrated there's a problem. The statutory process is therefore capable of being followed. To do otherwise is pure dictatorship. We have to work within the law."

However, Mr McClean hit back.

"It is a long bureaucratic system. We know the problem is going to be there. There are going to be 5,000 students there. I know they are going to have to park somewhere and the university should be required to address this from the start."

The inquiry into the £500 million development began on April 25 and is expected to last at least four weeks.

Brian Cantor, the university vice-chancellor, has previously argued that expansion is essential to ensure the university continues to attract top-quality students and staff.

Frances Patterson, representing the university, said earlier in the inquiry that development had to be in Heslington.

Other sites, including York Central and Elvington Airfield, had been deemed unviable.