THE OWNERS of Ilkley's Coronation Hospital have set back their deadline for selling the site, amid ongoing legal discussions with the neighbouring Ilkley Grammar School.

Airedale Primary Care Trust (PCT) initially said it hoped to have the Springs Lane hospital site sold off to private developer Benchmark by Christmas, and said in April this year that work should begin on a new building within the next 12 months.

Benchmark is to build a Health Care Centre to house Ilkley's hospital services and a new NHS dental suite.

However, a debate between the Trust and Ilkley Grammar School about a covenant on the land has held up progress.

The PCT says some advances were made at a meeting with Ilkley health staff, councillors and school representatives this week, but it is now setting it sights on having the Coronation sold to Benchmark by the end of March. The PCT will lease back the Health Care Centre from Benchmark once it is built.

Airedale PCT primary care development manager, Sally Ironfield, told the Gazette a meeting took place on Monday between the PCT, local GPs, Ilkley Parish Council and representatives of Ilkley Grammar School's

governors.

She said: "It was a very positive meeting and all parties are working with their legal representatives towards getting the matter resolved so that the site can be sold. We hope this will be before the end of the financial year."

Earlier this year, some Ilkley parish councillors appealed to the grammar school to resolve the situation, eager to see a deal sealed over the new hospital building as soon as possible - and wanting to have all issues over the land solved before the sell-off takes place.

But parish councillor Michael Lynes, who is also a former Ilkley Grammar School foundation governors chairman, said the community should not blame the school and its governing body for the hold-up. Councillor Lynes claimed that basic plans for the hospital site had not been sent to the school governors until July, and they were only later made aware of a possible coffee shop or retail use on the site.

The school had been asked to waive the covenant - restricting what may be built on the site - for 25 years, but governors were not prepared to give up their rights without first seeing more detailed plans for the hospital's land and determining the possible impact on the school and its grounds.

The PCT has stressed in recent months that it does intend to provide a new Ilkley base for hospital services, after fears about the removal of some services from the building this year, including the Minor Injuries Unit.