THE group behind a bid to preserve internationally significant archaeological treasures in Ilkley has got the green light to prepare a plan to move them.

Although it is early days, the scheme could see the Panorama Stones moved from the overgrown and neglected St Margaret's Park, Queen's Road, to the Manor House Museum.

After a meeting with English Heritage, the group behind the project, The Doctor Little Heritage Group, wanted to gauge local opinion.

At a follow-up open meeting last week, no voices of dissent were raised against the plan to make replicas of the stones and move them.

Parish councillor Brian Mann, the group's treasurer, said: "We have a very long way to go but everyone was very happy with the idea."

Coun Mann said that everyone involved with the project had been astounded to learn that the prehistoric stones, which could be 5,000 years old, were viewed as one of the most significant European examples of rock art.

The cup and ring markings, made during the Neolithic or Bronze Age, are in serious danger of wearing away from natural erosion. In 1890, Dr Fletcher Little, medical officer at Ben Rhydding Hydro, bought the stones for £10 from the owner of the land at Panorama Rocks where they were situated, because the area was due for development.

To preserve them for posterity, he arranged to have them moved to St Margaret's Park, surrounded by iron railings. While being moved the largest stone, known as the Panorama Stone, broke and had to be repaired.

The plan is to make replicas of the stones to leave in St Margaret's Park while the actual stones themselves will be transported to a protective enclosure at the Manor House Castle Yard.

This would allow the carvings on the replica stones to be recreated in their original glory while preserving what little is left of the originals.

Coun Mann is preparing a funding application for the Countryside Agency's Local Heritage Initiative (LHI) which he should have ready by next month.

If a grant is awarded the money will go towards research and a feasibility study for the larger project of copying and moving the stones. While this research is taking place, grant money could be used to make improvements to the overgrown park itself, which is in dire need of restoration.

Coun Mann is confident that the whole project can be completed with the help of the Countryside Agency after officials expressed support for the project in principle.

But if the replica stones are not constructed the scheme to move the originals will not be followed through. A less ambitious plan will be substituted to leave the stones where they are with some sort of protective cover constructed to preserve them.

The LHI has funding of £8 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund and £1 million from the Nationwide Building Society. Of that, £375,000 a year is available for groups in the Yorkshire and Humber region.

The newly appointed adviser to the scheme, Jane Haigh, said: "Projects funded to date range from helping groups produce community history books to searching for a mediaeval well, creating heritage trails and conserving, restoring and interpreting the structures and wildlife of river valleys."

Already, Ilkley Civic Society has been gathering information about the grants for its own project to place blue plaques on properties of historical significance in Ilkley.

Chairman Helen Kidman said: "We are very interested and would encourage any group in Ilkley to apply for a grant."

Any other groups wanting details of the LHI grants should telephone the information line on 0870 9000401. Full details of the grant scheme and application information, together with advice from successful projects during the ten-year initiative are also available on the web site at (www.lhi.org.uk).