Students attack uni's 'green' claim

UNDERGRADUATES JOIN PROTEST TO SAVE RECREATION FIELDS FROM BEING SOLD OFF FOR DEVELOPMENT

- HANA KELLY

STUDENTS have joined a protest against their university's decision to sell off fields for development.

Ryebank Fields in Chorlton has been at the heart of a battle of green space versus housing for over 25 years.

The fields, which sit on the border between Manchester and Trafford, were donated to Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) in the 1980s for sports and recreation use.

Many locals believe selling the land off to private developers is against the spirit of the gift of land.

A protest camp there, once a few scattered tents, now composes of an entire eco-house complete with a wood burner, solar panels and a bike shed.

It has stood on a corner of Ryebank Fields since April 2021.

In 2021, MMU claimed to be the most sustainable university in the UK, but students and protesters claim the decision to build on this site flies in the face of that claim.

Gina Bates, 25, a master's student at MMU, originally came from Massachusetts in America to study at MMU. For her, the university's sustainability policy was a reason to choose MMU.