Dear Vice Chancellor Malcolm Press, Head of Estates Mike Sheppard, The Board of Governors and all members of Manchester Metropolitan  University Management,

Ryebank Fields is a well loved green space in Chorlton (at M21 9WW). Manchester Metropolitan were gifted this land by the Council over 40 years ago in order to be used as playing fields. After The University stopped using the fields, they have flourished as a rare wild space, developing important biodiversity  including more than 1,400 trees  and over 60 species of bird.

Manchester Metropolitan University intends to sell the land to private housing developers for a proposal of 120 properties. This would destroy the wildlife and remove this green space from the community. Not only that, but the trees and grasses actively trap carbon dioxide, and absorb rain water improving local air quality,reducing flood risk and protecting against climate change globally. Manchester severely lacks green space especially wild green space which is critically important to biodiversity.

Ryebank Fields is home to the Nico Ditch, an ancient Anglo-Saxon borderline. Manchester Metropolitan University is lucky to be the custodian of one of the few remaining sections. Selling this land to private developers would put the future of this historically important feature at risk.

Ryebank Fields has the potential to be an asset hugely valuable to our education with little or no cost to yourselves. The sale and destruction of the fields is equivalent to the sale and destruction of the resources of the art school.

The local community have been campaigning to save Ryebank Fields for years. The land has a rich history and holds the memories of a community. Children who grew up playing on the fields now have children of their own. These children should have the opportunity to grow and learn in nature and it should not be taken away from them. Forest schools have used the fields for hands on learning and the local school has used the fields for art workshops.

This is part of a larger problem of land privatisation. Over half of our public land has been privatised since 1980. As an institute of learning, MMU should lead the way against land privatisation and protect this land for the people of Chorlton and the student community.

Manchester Metropolitan has received awards for being the UKs greenest university, something the university publicises widely. However, if you are truly committed to the environment, you would not be actively destroying wild green space.

Chasing the income from the sale is part of a national problem of marketisation of education. Manchester Metropolitan is conducting itself like a private business rather than a public ‘charitable’ institution. You should use this decision as an opportunity to show that this university puts education, community and wellbeing first.

The fields should be kept under the stewardship of Manchester Met for the benefit of student's education and wellbeing. Having this space to direct students to through the wellbeing services would be hugely beneficial. The wildlife society, biology course, and biology and conservation course could do practical  field studies and observations. The history department could study the Nico Ditch. Business School students and graduates could run pop-up businesses there. The art school could hold excursions for drawing and painting classes and land-based works.

The value of the fields to our education and our planet far outweighs the monetary gain from selling the fields. We urge you to listen to the voice of the student body and not sell Ryebank Fields to private developers but keep it as a wild green space.

Signed by

People & Planet Society MMU
Marxist Society MMU
Jessica Peach, MMU Student, People & Planet society & society of landscape architecture
Nick Hallsworth, MMU Marxist Society
Josie Tothill, MMU Marxist Society
Dalton Samuels
Hanna Mirza, YSJ Environmental Society
Julie Ryan, Local Resident to Ryebank Fields, Friends of Ryebank Fields
Dr Anna Fryer, Local Resident to Ryebank Fields
Sally Williams, Local Resident to Ryebank Fields
Ruth Conlock, Local Resident to Ryebank Fields
Neil Conlock, Local Resident to Ryebank Fields, Lancashire Wildlife Trust
Melanie Kettle, Local Resident to Ryebank Fields, Friends of Turn Moss
Steffeny Wright, I am a former MMU student and until recently lived nearby
Lily Kroese, Student of MMU
Rebecca McLean, Local Resident to Ryebank Fields
Bernadette Morrison
Karen Pertoldi, Local Resident to Ryebank Fields
George Long I grew up opposite fields, mother still lives in same house on Longford Road
Gary Rochford
Jo Fraser, Local Resident to Ryebank Fields, Graduate in Environmental Studies from MMU, now responsible for Manchesters countryside sites.
Jean Wren, Local Resident to Ryebank Fields
Dylan Potter, Student of MMU
Jay Clarke, Local Resident to Ryebank Fields
Oskar Walin, MMU People and Planet
Alison kelsey, Local Resident to Ryebank Fields, Unison
Matilda F. L. Todd, Student of MMU, Fencing Society
Jasmin, Student of MMU
David Rowlinson, Woodland Trust,WWF.
Gill Bennett, Local Resident to Ryebank Fields
Fiona Murray, Local Resident to Ryebank Fields
Georgia Harrison, Student of MMU
Webdy Walton, Local Resident to Ryebank Fields
Thomas Harrison Cassidy, Student of MMU
Victoria Johnson, Local Resident to Ryebank Field, The Friends of Turn Moss
Katharine Fernie, Local Resident to Ryebank Fields, Friends of Ryebank Fields
Alan Butterworth, Local Resident to Ryebank Fields, Friends of Ryebank Fields
Catherine Bell, Local Resident to Ryebank Fields
Linda Carver, Ancoats Dispenssry Trust
Jo walters, Local Resident to Ryebank Fields
Dominic Wright, Local Resident to Ryebank Fields
Mathilde Boersma, Student of MMU
Aida Foroutan
Jenny Feron
Local Resident to Ryebank Fields
Peter Daly, Local Resident to Ryebank Fields
Christine Love, Local Resident to Ryebank Fields
Ron Williams, Local Resident to Ryebank Fields
Jacqueline Galley, Local Resident to Ryebank Fields
Jonathon McCullough
William Gardner, Student of MMU, Hobbies & interest representative on soceities Council, member of People & Planet, Wildlife, Natural Geographical Society & zoology.
Cailline Lea
Suzanne Fenby, Local Resident to Ryebank Fields
Rachel Stone, Local Resident to Ryebank Fields
Stephen Fernley, Friends of Ryebank fields
Kelda savage
Liz Cole Chorlton resident, RSPB, Woodland Trust, Lancashire Wildlife Trust
Zoe Halstead
Elisabetta Colucci
Local Resident to Ryebank Fields
marcello morcian, Staff at MMU
Hattie Collins, Student of MMU, Extinction Rebellion
Isabelle Valade, Local Resident to Ryebank Fields, NEU
Hilary Morris, Local Resident to Ryebank Fields
Nancy Green, Local Resident to Ryebank Fields, Friends of Ryebank Fields
Diane Moss, Local Resident to Ryebank Fields, CCLT,  FORF
Anne Robertson, Local Resident to Ryebank Fields
Margaret crean, Staff at MMU
Jen Chapman, Local Resident to Ryebank Fields
Bernie Ledwick, Local Resident to Ryebank Fields
Amy Morris, Local Resident to Ryebank Fields
Darren Jones, Local Resident to Ryebank Fields
Alison Sheldon, Local Resident to Ryebank Fields, Friends of Ryebank Fields
Cathy Brydges, Local Resident to Ryebank Fields
Lima Al-Iskalachi, Local Resident to Ryebank Fields, Save Rayebank fields group
Sami Pinarbasi, Staff at MMU
Ellen Dolan, Local Resident to Ryebank Fields
Eoin Bennett, Student of MMU
Joanne Chalkley, Local Resident to Ryebank Fields
Jason Johnson, Local Resident to Ryebank Fields, Friends of Ryebank Fields, Friends of Turn Moss
Bob Jones
Daniel Simpkins, Local Resident to Ryebank Fields
Mark Ridings, Local Resident to Ryebank Fields
Ludovic Tolhurst-Cleaver, Student of MMU, Staff at MMU, Local Resident to Ryebank Fields, Member of Open Spaces Society; Save Ryebank Fields; Trafford Liberal Democrats
Mei Yuk Wong
Dominique Brockhaus-Grand, Staff at MMU, Local Resident to Ryebank Fields
Cathy Brydges, Local Resident to Ryebank Fields
Audrey Hayes
Alison Mcilwaine, Local Resident to Ryebank Fields
Nigel Mcilwaine, Local Resident to Ryebank Fields
Waheed Amin, Local Resident to Ryebank Fields
Peter Topping, Chorlton Civic Society
Dr Nigel Woodcock, Local Resident to Ryebank Fields
Dylan Keane
Conrad Atkinson
D J Barrow
Christina Elliott
Catherine mclean
Karl Townsend
Victoria Mansfield
Birgitte johnson
Eva Lawrence MSOA Student, member of MMU people and planet
Georgia Griffiths, First Year Student at MMU
Andy Gee. I live opposite the fields and my 3 year old son loves playing there and learning about all the wildlife that have made their home there.
Neil Ruddock
Sam Fraser, resident
Katharine Fernie, local and friend of Ryebank Fields
Sonia Waddell - Local Resident to Ryebank Fields (an amazing 'wild' area and much used and appreciated).
Rebecca Taylor
Maria Pak and Kevin Duffy Local Residents to Ryebank Fields
Ian Brown
Chris Gravestock, Local Resident to Ryebank Fields
Poppy Gravestock, Local Resident to Ryebank Fields
Catherine Hooley, Local Resident to Ryebank Fields
Chris Gravestock, Local Resident to Ryebank Fields
Bev Pullan. Local resident
Jo Shuttleworth, local resident
Ella Shearman- local resident
Simon Dunn, local resident
Jens Hettel (chorlton resident)
Karen Galston birdwatcher and nature lover
Aydee
J. G. T. LYNCH BSc (Hons) Psychology, alumni and local resident
Deirdre Lewis local resident
Lauren Sagar
David Wright
Susan England
Sam Licence
Nancy Holt
Marj Woolstencroft Local resident
Quentin Duflos, MMU Oxfam Society
Aroma Younis-John
Farishta Tariq
Fenner Amos
Helen Fielding, studying at MMU
Maria Cristina Bravo
Savannah Middleton, MMU student
Georgia Donnelly, Animal Behaviour student at MMU
Karen McCarthy - Extinction Rebellion. Labour Party.
Sue Dixon Local resident
Elizabeth Gossan, MMU Biology student
Steven Passant (alumnus) Ba hons 3D-Design 1992
Henry Holborn - prospective student at MMU
Devon Bellamy, MMU Student
Jacqui Kennedy, Chorlton resident.
Glan area conservation.of wildlife and rare species of orchid
Eve Riddle
Anupreet Malhi, student of Politics at MMU
Anna Harrington
Robyn Mansir, MMU Student
MMU Sustainable Development Action Group
Katie Broderick, MMU Student, Young Greens.
Kayleigh Crawford
(Also People and Planet UoM are happy to add our name if relevant!)
Natalie Szrejder, MMU PIP Society
Mohammed Abdullah, Politics and International Politics Society.
Maddy Emery, student at MMU
MMU Oxfam Society
Stephen Alton. Local Resident to Ryebank Fields.
Quentin Duflos, Chair of MMU Oxfam Society
Alice Crawshaw, student at MMU, member of people and planet MMU