School plan should still go-ahead councillors argue

Campaigners fighting to transform the former Royal Park School, in Hyde Park, have failed to raise the money needed for the scheme - but last night local councillors said much good work had been done and urged Leeds City Council to consider transferring the building anyway.

The sprawling Victorian school has stood empty since 2004 and hit the headlines in 2009 when people occupied the site in a protest against its deteriorating condition.

During the occupation, they cleared rubbish from inside and around the premises, carrying out painting and repairs before the council took legal action and had them evicted.

A plan to transform the building and turn it into a centre for the community was later drawn up by the The Royal Park Community Consortium (RPCC).

Yesterday two local councillors said the building should now be transferred into community ownership but council chiefs said options were still being considered and said it would be irresponsible to hand over a building without an agreed way forward in place.

Coun Jamie Matthews and Coun Martin Hamilton (both Lib Dem, Headingley) called for the school to be handed over to RPCC.

Coun Matthews said: “At the most recent meeting of the Inner North West Area Committee I moved a motion that we should ask the council to hand over the building to the RPCC. It was supported unanimously.

“We know that raising funds will be hard work but I am convinced the consortium has the drive and belief to make a success of the building.”

Coun Hamilton added: “The building has been empty for years now.

“Plans for it be used for flats for older people fell by the wayside when the economic crisis hit, and everyone knows that the building would raise very little cash on the open market, which is why the Council should use its powers to transfer the building into community ownership.”

The RPCC were given a period of time to raise the £750,000 needed to lease the former primary school and get the refurbishment underway.

The group’s proposals for the building included community centre, meeting rooms, cafe, creche, performance and exhibition spaces and business start-up units.

Hopes that RPCC might be able to achieve the mammoth fundraising task were raised when the Community Builders Fund, established to support community projects, offered £800,000 - but on condition the money would only be handed over if the group could raise the other £1.8m needed for the project.

But the group was unable to secure major Lottery and European Regional Development Fund grants.

Coun Richard Lewis (Lab, Pudsey) and the council’s executive member for development & economy said: “Earlier this year we gave Royal Park Community Consortium (RPCC) an exclusivity period to raise the money to buy and refurbish the building. When it became clear that RPCC would be unable to raise this funding we commissioned a group of experts to work with the community to evaluate what could be done with the building.

“RPCC have acknowledged they are not in a financial position to take responsibility for the building. They estimate it would cost in excess of £4 million to refurbish it and this is money they do not have. As such it would be irresponsible for the council to hand over the building without a clear plan being in place about its future.”

“We are now undertaking further work into the options available, continuing our dialogue with RPCC and will report back on this in the near future.”

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