THE University of Essex is a huge success story, from when the first 122 students were enrolled 58 years ago in September 1964 to where today it is the biggest single contributor to the economy of Colchester and district with around 15,000 students based at the Wivenhoe Park campus.

It is a major employer. The university has an international reputation, and attracts students from more than 100 countries.

However, its attempt to expand over the dual-carriageway Clinghoe Hill by building on around 25 acres of land on the eastern slopes of Salary Brook is something which must be resisted for planning and ecological reasons.

The whole of Salary Brook valley and eastern slopes had been identified as a country park, a significant area of open space separating Greenstead and Longridge from the proposed development of a sprawling housing estate described as a “garden community” beyond the ridge of the hill.

This is double the size of Greenstead and is planned for some of the finest agricultural land in North Essex, much of it in the Parish of Elmstead.

In recent weeks I have raised my concerns firstly at the annual meeting of the Court of the University, of which I am a member, and then at a meeting of the Tendring/Colchester Borders “garden community” committee which comprises councillors from Tendring District, Colchester Borough and Essex County.

At the latter, I quoted from the 60 page report which stated: “The land adjoining Salary Brook is sensitive in environmental, landscape and topographical terms. An allocation (to the university) would be harmful to the landscape and environmental attributes of Salary Brook and would be highly challenging from a technical construction perspective given the steep topography.”

I was encouraged by the response from an officer which I hope will lead to university expansion over the dualcarriageway being refused. If it went ahead, then it would be a damaging intrusion into the proposed country park.

Sir Bob Russell

Former information officer for the university