Students attack uni’s ‘green’ claim
UNDERGRADUATES JOIN PROTEST TO SAVE RECREATION FIELDS FROM BEING SOLD OFF FOR DEVELOPMENT
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.
She said: “This has flipped my perspective. I just hope that this draws the attention it deserves and that MMU rethink their current path.
“What I knew of Manchester was that the city is very involved in politics and is progressive and to go to the greenest university, it really mattered. So I was really upset to find out that it wasn’t true”.
Issie Masters, 21, a second year student at MMU said: “They just don’t care, if the teachers speak up they could get fired. We’re interested in supporting Ryebanks and it’s important to show our support.”
Kiera Dennison, 20, a second year student at MMU, added: “It’s a complete 180 on the values of our university and what they say they stand for.”
The protest took place last week, with students occupying the Grosvenor East building and dropping banners from its roof.
Shouts of ‘shame on you, MMU’ and ‘MMU stop greenwashing’ were called over megaphones and chanted back by the 40 or so protesters who gathered.
They say the aim was to cause as much disruption as possible to
MMU’s operations to raise awareness around the university’s decision to develop on the land.
The land is well used by residents of both Chorlton and Trafford as it is a rich area of biodiversity, home to an aspen grove, the ancient Nico ditch, and many millennium oak trees.
Sarah, a mum from Stretford, said: “Ryebank Fields is ten minutes walk from my house, and it became a refuge for my teenage daughter and I during lockdown. It’s somewhere both of us can just breathe and feel more part of nature, and so visiting the fields has since become a regular part of my week.
“The community of Ryebank is very special too, lots of brilliant people who care so passionately about the Fields that they dedicate their time to protecting them. There’s something about a shared love of a place that brings different people together, and shows us ‘we are the same.’
“If Ryebank Fields were gone, I’d be devastated at the loss of a magical place, and of all the wildlife who live there in our corner of Greater Manchester, and also heartbroken at the loss of a community that loves it as much as I do.”
A spokesperson for Manchester Metropolitan University said: “We are aware a small number of students have shown an interest in the campaign by Friends of Ryebank Fields against our plan to dispose of land at Ryebank Fields in Chorlton to a suitable developer as part of our strategy to consolidate onto a single, sustainable, city centre campus.
“For context, there was a gathering of around 15-20 people - campaigners and students - in All Saints Park today as part of a planned
peaceful protest.
“There has been no impact on university activities. We remain in discussions to sell the land and no preferred developer has yet been appointed.
“We expect to appoint a preferred developer in the near future.”
I just hope this draws the attention it deserves and that MMU rethink their current policy MMU student Gina Bates