Villagers are celebrating a victory in their battle to stop one of Bradford's oldest school buildings being consigned to the history books.

The former Sandal Primary School in Green Road, Baildon, has been declared a Grade II-listed building by the Government's Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) following an application from residents.

Sandal School moved to the former Belmont Middle School site in West Lane in September 2000 as part of Bradford's education shake-up and Bradford Council has now put the Green Road site on the market.

With the site earmarked for housing in Bradford's draft Unitary Development Plan, Baildon Local History Society feared the 109-year-old school building could be knocked down to make way for new homes.

But its listed status means anyone wanting to develop the site would have to gain listed building consent if they wanted to demolish or alter it.

History society secretary Stewart Main said: "We are delighted. We wanted to save the building because it's such a good example of a building from that period in Baildon's history.

"It means the building itself will be protected and although it could be turned into flats they won't be able to just knock it down and build houses there."

Councillor Grahame Thornton (Lib Dem, Baildon) commented: "It would be good if it was retained for the community.''

A spokesman for the DCMS, which consulted English Heritage before listing the building, said: "Sandal was considered to have outstanding architectural quality for a building of its type and date.''

The building would remain on the market, said Councillor Andrew Mallinson (Cons, Keighley North), chairman of Bradford Council's schools disposal sub-committee.

But he added: "We will now call in the sales particulars we have sent out and remarket it as a listed building.''