ARTIST David Hockney's former school has been approved for demolition, despite locals coming up with an alternative idea to convert it into flats.

A planning committee originally approved the plan to pull down Eccleshill's old Hutton School and build 29 new homes in February.

But a change in planning laws in April meant this decision had to be taken once again.

And in the meantime, locals campaigning to save the 19th century building, between Cavendish Road and Victoria Road, had asked an architect to put plans together demonstrating how it could be converted into flats.

None of the objectors attended the meeting of the Regulatory and Appeals Committee yesterday.

But a letter from lead campaigner Andy Chilton was read to the panel, which said these drawings showed how the building could be developed into flats, with houses on the rest of the site.

The letter said there was a local developer who was interested in buying the site and developing the school, and more than 500 people had signed a petition calling for it to be saved.

Ward councillor Geoff Reid (Lib Dem, Eccleshill) urged the committee to reject or defer the demolition plan while other options were explored.

He said the alternative architectural drawings "offer in effect an illustration of how the building could be developed for housing without demolition".

"They seem to me to be a basis for a sensible conversation which has not yet happened," he said.

But the meeting also heard that the building - most recently a Fitness First gym - was not listed and had fallen victim to vandalism in the four years it had lain empty.

One resident, Steve Johnson, spoke in support of the developers' plan, saying the building was being targeted by arsonists.

He said: "The last four years have been a nightmare, and an increasing nightmare."

And Pete Hall, planning agent for developer Gregory Projects, said while they empathised with the views of campaigners, retaining the building was not a "commercial reality".

He said Bradford had a chronic shortage of housing sites.

The committee approved Gregory Projects' plans unanimously.

Committee member Councillor Mike Ellis said he recognised there was concern at the loss of such a building.

He said: "I share that, I really, really do, but at the end of the day we are a planning committee and we can only consider the application that is in front of us."