A RESIDENTS’ leader has accused the University of Chester of ‘treating the community with contempt’ over its County Hall development for up 1,300 students.

Reg Barritt, general secretary of Handbridge Residents’ Council, feels the university should be more open with the public about the relocation of the departments of education and children’s services and health and social care.

University bosses have discussed their plans at a ticket-only event hosted by the Conservative Party, an area forum and Queen’s Park Residents’ Association.

The university also insists it has invited Mr Barritt to meet both within a public forum and on a one-to-one basis to discuss the issues.

But Mr Barritt said: “It’s disingenuous of them to be claiming these were genuinely open public meetings that focused solely on the particular issue. People have the right to have a say on something which will have a long-term impact on their community.”

“They are treating the community with contempt,” added Mr Barritt, a former president of Chester Students’ Union, who says there are concerns about extra traffic and parking, homes being turned into houses of multiple occupancy and a 200-delegate conference centre.

Cllr Razia Daniels (Con, Overleigh) and Avril Coady of Chester Communities Together separately tried to organise a public meeting with the university but were both turned down.

John Murray of Handbridge.com offered for the university to communicate its plans through his website but they had “not even responded”.

Handbridge Residents’ Council may now call its own public meeting without the university.

A university spokeswoman said there was an offer to host a public meeting in February 2011 once the campus was completed.

She added: “The university has already engaged in a number of briefing sessions over the past nine months and will continue to liaise, as appropriate, with the local community.

“It has spoken about its plans to three public meetings, most recently in February this year to the Queen’s Park Residents’ Association, for which the university has offered to host an AGM at the Riverside Campus in spring 2011.

“The university has been in regular correspondence with the Handbridge Residents’ Council and has also invited Reg Barritt, its general secretary, both to meet within a public forum and on a one-to-one basis.”