ROSEMARY and Martin Savage did warn us that they were objecting 'in the strongest possible terms' about plans for the new university campus, but their letter (Evening Advertiser, January 20) was uncalled for.

Though they are entitled to express their opinion about the supposed environmental impact of the new university campus being built at Coate, launching a personal attack on Professor Breakwell, vice-chancellor of the University of Bath, does not help the debate. Accusing anybody of 'blackmail' is a serious accusation in any instance, but in this case it also misses the point completely.

If Prof Breakwell says the new Swindon campus 'will be built where we want it, or not at all' we should take it not as blackmail but rather as a wake-up call.

The point is that Dr Breakwell is under no obligation to build the new campus in Swindon at all, and if she isn't happy that a suitable site is available, she may yet decide that it would be better somewhere else.

Swindon has been crying out for something like this for longer than any of us can remember, and you don't have to be an expert to see that letting it slip through our fingers this time would be catastrophic for the long-term economic prospects of many generations to come.

It is interesting to note that Rosemary and Martin Savage end their letter by putting down their fears about Swindon's expansion and the need to improve the existing infrastructure. They need to look no further than any university city to find the answer.

Any city (and Swindon effectively is one) derives massive benefits across virtually the whole of its infrastructure if it has a university on its doorstep. In Swindon's case, I see no other way that we are ever going to get so much as a decent library.

I wish more people would come to Swindon and try to 'blackmail' us.

JULIE CARTER

Jefferies Avenue