Sir – The current and furious debate about Oxford Brookes in your letter columns does not, in my view, address the central question. Can a city of 140,000 at the last census, hemmed in by a county council policy of no growth, accommodate two universities with a student population of 37,000? I think not.

During my time as Lord Mayor, Oxford Polytechnic became a university and I attended the naming ceremony. It was no surprise to anybody that the word Oxford appeared in the new university title.

The statistics of student numbers given at the inauguration were 8,900. Trading in on the name of Oxford they are now in excess of 18,000. An international department has been created and students are drawn from all over the world by the name of Oxford.

At the time of the inauguration, I discussed with the then vice chancellor of Oxford University what the future would bring. We both agreed that the city was too small for two universities and would produce the current situation and its accompanying controversy.

In that conversation we both agreed that Oxford Brookes should work in partnership with the University concentrating only on those areas at which it was proficient and which Oxford University lacked.

Subjects such as planning, estates management, catering et al. It should not seek to mimic Oxford University in subjects like maths, English, law et al.

My pleas fell on deaf ears on both the city and county councils and the results are clear to see all around this city.

Oxford Brookes should adopt a policy of retrenchment; take the pressure of accommodation in this city.

They will, of course, do the exact opposite, trading on the name of Oxford, but the grim reality is that this city is too small for two universities and that is at the heart of the current and future controversies about Oxford Brookes’ policy of ever-increasing student numbers.

John Power, Oxford