CAMPAIGNERS who lost their fight to keep an old Otley school building safe from developers are claiming a final 'victory' for the community.

Leeds City Council's area planning panel finally approved controversial plans to convert the former infant school in Wharfe Street, Otley, last Thursday.

But the panel also added a condition that the developers should hand over around half of the building's old play area to local residents 'for perpetuity'.

Securing part of the green space at the school has been one of the main objectives of the Wharfe Street Action Committee (WSAC) since it was formed back in 1997.

WSAC spokesman Bill McIlwraith said he was delighted that goal had been achieved.

He said: "After all the years of hard work it is pleasing that Otley has been able to save this green space.

"Since the planning decision I have consulted the committee and some local residents and they all seem pleased.

"I have been in touch with the developer, too, who is also satisfied by the result.

"The main point of the fight was to win and show that a group of determined people can make a difference to their local environment. I hope our efforts will encourage people in other parts of the town to fight for their green space."

The planning decision means the school building will be adapted to provide six new homes, while another terrace of nine houses will be built on the adjacent land.

Councillor Clive Fox, meanwhile, who sits on the Leeds Plans Panel (West), said he sympathised with and respected the views of some residents who had been against any development on the site.

But while acknowledging they had put forward compelling arguments, he said the committee had to limit its debate to purely planning issues.

Given those restrictions, Coun Fox said he hoped the community would be pleased with what they had achieved.

He said: "We have got two key conditions attached to the approval of the scheme which we were all very keen to see in place.

"The first is that part of Courthouse Street, which flows into the area and is very narrow, will become one way - and the developers have to implement that one way system before any of the new-build work can start.

"And the second is that roughly half of the former playing area will now be handed over for public use, something the residents were very keen on.

"The developers have also agreed to landscape it according to local people's wishes, and some form of management trust will be set up to ensure it will remain in public use.

"So that is some kind of consolation for residents."

WSAC originally hoped to stop any development of the school at all, but Mr McIlwraith points out that it has at least managed to stop the building being demolished.

"I think we've negotiated the best deal possible," he said. "The vast majority of residents are very happy with it."

Now Mr McIlwraith is preparing himself, and the WSAC, for the next battle - over on-street parking. "Parking is already a problem because the street is so narrow," he said. "So something will need to be done."