Sir - Surely the aim of Ruskin College's masterplan (Report, January 25) to move the college's main centre to Headington cannot mean the end of the college's historic presence in Walton Street?

For more than 100 years, the college has been the defiant educator of the have-nots', challenging from the centre of Oxford the privileged public schools and wealthy colleges.

Its present need to find a new balance between its city-centred functions and those in Headington must not involve a withdrawal from this precious site.

Unless the existing plans are modified, few Ruskin students will enjoy that Oxford excellence' which it was the aim of its Founders to convey ,the chance to live and study in the midst of the stimulus of the intellectual community, its debates and lectures, seminars and pub arguments and its libraries.

A final blow would be the removal of its own unique, beautiful library to Headington.

Created after massive support from ordinary people and generous trade unions, it has been available for years to students and scholars at the cost of a five-minute walk from any Oxford college, just as the Bodleian has been so generously available to Ruskin students.

Instead of attempting to crowd too many buildings on to the small conservation Headington site, and reducing what's left at Walton Street to mere tokenism, there should continue in Walton Street a group and scale of functions (including the library and viable number of long-term students) for Ruskin to survive and prosper in its unique educational role.

John and Vi Hughes, Oxford