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Headingley school fields row: Council 'must act'
Private school chiefs were accused of contributing to Headingley's health problems with their plans to build houses on its former playing fields.
Angry residents voted overwhelmingly in favour of a resolution calling on Leeds City Council to intervene in an 18-month battle and buy playing fields on Leeds Girls High School's former site in Headingley.
The call came at the fifth public meeting to discuss the school's controversial plans to build homes on part of its old site.
Consultants for the school outlined recent changes to their planning application, which includes handing over land at Ford House as a public park.
Consultant Peter Torrible told the meeting, held at City Church, how the site could be granted to the public for an initial 10-year period before being handed over in perpetuity once plans for the future of another site at Victoria Road had been finalised.
But one angry resident received a round of applause when he accused the school of missing the point over the need for more open spaces for sport.
The meeting was told that Headingley was the second most deprived area of the city when it came to the provision of sports pitches.
He said: "Why are you obsessing about Ford House gardens when the need is for playing pitches to deal with serious public health problems?
"If people take more exercise it is more effective for a persons health than any drugs that can be manufactured.
"But people in South Headingley are unable to take exercise because of
a lack of facilities."
The LGHS buildings in Headingley have stood empty since summer last year when it was moved to the Leeds Grammar School site in Alwoodley.
The school recently withdrew an application to redevelop the playing field and sports centre at Victoria Road.
Community
Mr Torrible explained how the site, which includes a swimming pool, had been offered to both Leeds City Council and Leeds Met University to operate as a community facility but both had turned it down for financial reasons.
He said there was a further option of allowing a community group to take on the site but they would have ensure it was economically viable.
Mr Torrible said: "We see it as a tragedy to lose this as a facility.
"But I'm afraid that money is a driving factor in these tough economic times."
North West Leeds Lib Dem MP Greg Mulholland was also at the meeting to speak up in favour of the residents.
He said: "The school still doesn't seem to understand. Yes, of course it is important for the school to recoup some money and put it into the grammar at Alwoodley.
"But it is absolutely crucially important to this area what happens on that site. There will simply never again be another area of land of this size or importance to these people and I still do not think the school realises the importance of that."
A massive row erupted when the school unveiled plans to build houses and flats, with the scheme attracting 4,459 letters of objection.
Councillors are expected to consider the revised proposals early next year.
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Sunday 05 February 2012
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