CALLS for nursery provision and more school places will be made at a public meeting to discuss the closure of two Aireborough primary schools.

Parents, councillors and school governors are expected to attend next Wednesday's meeting headed by Education Leeds to thrash out the future of Yeadon's South View Junior and Infant schools.

Concerns are high that with the building of hundreds of new homes on sites including High Royds Hospital at Menston, the slashing of primary school places is premature.

Residents also want to see badly needed nursery places provided for parents.

Councillor Graham Latty, chairman of Leeds City Council's Aireborough Community Involvement Team (CIT) expressed concern about the number of new school places being reduced from 60 between two schools to 30 in the new, amalgamated school.

At last Thursday's meeting of Aireborough CIT he said: "You never know what is going to happen in the future. Are they sure there are not going to be a lot more children in the future in Aireborough and is there flexibility in the plan to compensate for this if the birth rate increases."

The schools have been identified for closure and amalgamation with planning permission recently given for a new school on the junior school site in Rufford Avenue.

The school, which is due to open in September, 2005, will have a maximum intake of 30 children instead of 60.

The changes come following a review of primary schools by Education Leeds - the education arm of Leeds City Council. Both schools have seen a drop in numbers with South View experiencing 40 per cent of its spaces spare last year and half spare at South View.

In direct contrast, Yeadon Westfield Infants and Junior schools have survived any changes because they are at their maximum admission limits.

Paul Wadsworth, of Westfield Residents' Association, said: "If the places are halved then what happens when High Royds is developed into 500 homes? Won't the places not be needed then? It feels as if we are losing a school even though a new one is being built."

The council's Executive Board revealed recently there are 9,000 surplus primary school places across Leeds and predicts this will rise to 14,000 by 2005. The places will be halved in September next year with children with brothers and sisters at the schools retaining their places.

A temporary governing body for the new Yeadon school will be created in the autumn and the schools will operate as one from September, 2004, but on separate sites until the new school is finished.

Eric Bishop, of Guiseley Neighbour-hood Watch, said: "30 places is not enough, it is being cut too close to the bone."

The site of South View Infants will be sold by the city council to fund new school buildings.

Janet Brown, a school governor and member of Weetwood Crime Prevention Panel said she wanted to see nursery provision.

"There is no nursery provision in Yeadon or Rawdon. Whilst building the new school, isn't it possible for a nursery to be built on as well?"

The only nursery in Yeadon is at Westfield Infants, which has just 26 places, all taken. There is no other private or voluntary provision in the area.

The public meeting will take place on Wednesday, January 22 from 7pm at Benton Park School, Rawdon.

Comments on the plans should be sent before January 31 to The Chief Executive, Education Leeds, FAO The Primary Review Team, 10th Floor East, Merrion House, 110 Merrion Centre, Leeds, LS2 8DT.