CONCERNED residents are calling for urgent action to stop a closed Otley school from becoming an eyesore.

The former Thomas Chippen-dale Primary School, which closed in August last year, is to be sold off by Leeds City Council and its playing fields preserved for community use.

But people living near the old school fear unless a management plan is put together very soon, the fields will become waste land.

Over the summer youths camped and held parties on the fields and caused damage by setting fire to trees.

John Morgan, of St Richard's Road, said there had been a lot of trouble with young people around the school during the summer holidays.

On one occasion he had to call the police and fire brigade after youths set fire to a tree.

He believes the land, about the size of two junior sports pitches, should be properly maintained and handed over to a club for overall management.

"The fields need to be under the control of a club like Otley Town where they would used it for specific times, but it was controlled."

He said at the moment, with no restrictions on the land, people were using it to walk their dogs and it had become very overgrown.

But Otley Mayor Councillor Nigel Francis, who pushed for the school halls to be saved for community use, doubted whether there was a need for more sports fields in the area.

"We have to ask how much use is there in the Weston Lane fields, it's not as if there isn't a field up there at the moment.

"I feel the whole thing has been very badly thought out and now Leeds doesn't know what to do with it."

He added that once the school buildings are demolished, there will not be any changing facilities available with the fields.

"They will also be isolated. I don't want to see houses built on the fields, it should be kept as open space, but we need to be careful that it doesn't become landlocked by new houses."

Councillor Clive Fox (Con, Otley and Wharfedale), chairman of Otley and Wharfedale Comm-unity Involvement Team (CIT), said as far as he knew a regular maintenance plan was being put together by the city council to keep the grass cut.

He added that he hoped the school buildings were demolished quickly to save them from further vandalism.

Chris Lawson, secretary of the Weston Lane Junior Sports and Social Club, said he could see a time when his club would be interested in taking over the fields.

The club has used them in the past and would have its own changing facilities nearby.

At the moment, the club has fewer members because of ongoing work on its replacement pavilion, but it is expected numbers will increase again. "When we get back on our feet, it would be nice to have the facility," said Mr Lawson.