On this day in Yorkshire

February 29, 1954

Parents in the village of Bramham, near Wetherby, met last night to protest about their 100-year-old school, which they claim is structurally unsafe and a danger to the 150 pupils.

Parents have claimed that heavy traffic on the Great North Road only a few yards from the school makes the building shake and has caused cracks in the classroom walls.

Last night the villagers put two questions to a divisional education officer and the West Riding’s chief architect. They asked: “Is the school structurally safe, and when Is the village going to have a new one?”

The architect. Mr H. Bennett, told them: “Work has already started on a £400 repair scheme to remedy the major defects. from an engineering point of view the precautions that have been taken are ample, and if I was not satisfied the school was safe I should immediately write to the Chief Education Officer and ask that the school be closed.”

Mr Bennett promised that the building would examined “at frequent Intervals” to make sure there was no movement after repairs had been completed.

“Bramham is included the list of 1,000 new schools that are proposed in the county development plan,” he said. “But I can give no indication of when work will start. It is difficult, too, to say how long the present repairs will keep the school in good condition. We may have to spend something like £3,000 to keep the school going for five or 10 years.”

Mr J. Minett, education officer for the Ripon division, told the parents: “The plight of Bramham school has not been overlooked by County Council authorities. We shall get a new school sooner or later, but it will depend on the national situation.”

The villagers voted unanimously that they were “not satisfied” with what had been done and what was planned to safeguard children attending the school, and Mr J. Beaumont summed up their feelings when told the headmaster and officials: “The fight for the new school is still on, sir.”