The future of a school site due to be axed under the Bradford Council education shake-up will be thrashed out at a public meeting.

Parents and residents, councillors and Keighley MP Ann Cryer have been invited to attend the meeting at Bronte Middle School in Oakworth.

The school will close as part of the change from a three-tier to a two-tier system of education.

The public meeting has been organised by Keighley Education Action group, which has fought the closures for more than a year.

Spokesman Val Wright said: "Both Bradford Council leader Councillor Ian Greeenwood and community development chief Councillor Ralph Berry have said they want to involve the whole community in the site's future.

"We are giving the people of Keighley and the Worth Valley the chance to let Bradford know how it wants the school to be used.

"We think it would be a tragedy if the school's superb facilities were bulldozed to make way for still more houses in the valley.

"We're urging parents, residents community leaders, church leaders and sports organisations to come and have their say.''

MP Ann Cryer, who has agreed to attend the meeting, said: "The school and its grounds are a wonderful public facility and I think they can ill-afford to be lost to Keighley and the Worth Valley.

"Ideally, I would like to see the place kept for the community but there might have to be a compromise from both sides - the local authority and the community.''

It was important to look at schemes which were realistic, she added, calling for the setting up of a working party of representatives from the community and local authority to look at how best to use the site.

Bronte stands in seven acres of grounds and its buildings can accommodate 820 students.

The playing fields are used by more than 200 young footballers, 150 cyclists and a league cricket club.

When the Government last month gave approval for the educational shake-up, Coun Ian Greenwood and Coun Ralph Berry pledged that they would consult the community about the future use of the site, which they aimed to retain as an educational asset.

The meeting is at 7.30pm on Thursday, April 22 in the school's main hall.

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