RESEARCH and educational excellence would be in jeopardy if the University of York's expansion plans were blocked, top academics have warned.

Speaking at a public inquiry into the proposals, university chiefs defended their controversial £500 million development for the outskirts of York.

Vice-chancellor Professor Brian Cantor, said he was not interested in "growth for growth's sake" - but only wished to "promote excellence".

Prof Cantor said if the plans for a 65-hectare Heslington East campus get the go-ahead, the university would rein in its rate of expansion.

He said: "The current plan is to slow down the rate of expansion quite substantially. This is as big as we feel we would want to get.

"We are trying to find the right balance. We are not going for growth for growth's sake - we are only interested in growth to promote excellence."

But campaigners put pressure on Prof Cantor, accusing the university of "chucking away" Heslington's agricultural heritage.

Local farmer Sally Hawkswell told the inquiry: "I think it is a terrible pity that the farming history of Heslington is just being chucked to one side."

Prof Cantor told her: "We are aware that there is a loss of good agricultural land, but my job is to run a successful university. My considered assessment - and I really mean this - is that the university needs to grow for its own good, and the good of many, many residents of York."

Another top academic warned that York's current relatively small campus was holding it back.

In a statement to the inquiry, Professor Trevor Sheldon, the university's pro-vice-chancellor in charge of teaching, said: "We are seriously constrained in making our national, regional and local contribution by our inability to grow our research and teaching."

He said: "The significant impact the university can make to the public good is only possible if it can expand, and so the case warrants consideration as a very special circumstance justifying development in the green belt."

Prof Sheldon said the university wanted to teach new subjects including theatre, film and television, and law, and subjects allied to medicine, and increase student numbers by 60 per cent to 17,450.

The hearing, which is taking place at the Guildhall, is expected to last at least four weeks.

Updated: 09:54 Thursday, April 27, 2006