CAMPAIGNERS trying to save an historic school from demolition say it is the best building for further education classes - even though college bosses want to establish a different base in Otley.

Members of the Wharfe Street Action committee have urged chiefs at Park Lane College - which merged with Airedale and Wharfedale College on Saturday - to consider using the Victorian school in conjunction with a new centre on Bondgate.

The Wharfedale Observer revealed last week that a bid had been submitted to Leeds City Council's planning department to convert the former county court offices to an education centre.

But Bill McIlwraith and Sheila Shackleton, leading lights in the drive to save Wharfe Street School, claim many of the activities enjoyed at the older building will not be available at Bondgate.

Mr McIlwraith said: "It's not physically possible to hold all the classes in Bondgate. And in any case, why rent Bondgate when they have a building which is bigger and they have an interest in.

"We are extremely happy about extra course provision in Otley, we're very much in favour of it.

"But what we are saying is use Bondgate in conjunction with the facilities at Wharfe Street."

Those facilities include three pottery kilns and equipment for silversmiths. Mr McIlwraith and Mrs Shackleton said such courses would die out completely if no similar provision was made at the office building.

And they have concerns over car parking, with less space provided at the town centre building than at the schoolhouse.

They have pledged to continue the fight against a planning bid to put 11 houses on the site if college bosses refuse to reopen the building. Park Lane principal John Taylor said it had been sold but the campaigners are still disputing ownership.

"If it can't be a further education centre, why not a craft centre or a youth club - that's what Otley really needs," added Mr McIlwraith.

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