PARENTS battling to stop the closure of an Otley school have made a last ditch appeal - 'help us now, or live to regret it.'

Convinced they can reverse the closure of All Saints Junior School, they are now calling on the town for its overwhelming support.

They say unless people rise up now, the North Parade building will be boarded up, built on, and lost to the town forever.

The parents action group has already won its right for a judicial review into last September's decision by the Leeds Schools Organisation Committee to close the school - and next week two High Court judges could order the committee to reverse its controversial decision.

Group spokesman, Paul Roberts, said that the group was convinced it could win its fight and see the school site reopened as the town's church primary school.

"Our barrister would not have taken this on if he did not believe he could win, he has even cancelled his holiday to see this through," he told the Wharfedale Observer.

"Once the school is sold and gone for housing, it will be gone forever and will never be used for children again.

"It is an ideal site for a primary school and it will be a tragedy if it is lost forever."

And he added: "Ordinary people can do something to stop this from happening.

"We have never argued against primary school reorganisation.

"We believe it should take place, but we firmly believe that the church school should be on the North Parade site."

Next week's judicial review is due to take place on Tuesday and Wednesday at London's High Court.

Two members of the group have brought the action on behalf of their two sons, both pupils at the school.

It will mean that the dealings of the Schools Organisation Committee will be thoroughly examined and, following recent changes to education law, will provide one of the first cases to review how such committees should hear objections.

Before now re-organisation decisions would be looked at by the secretary of state, but they are now determined at local level - and effectively by the same controlling parties that have previously recommended the decision.

The children, represented by their parents, argue that the reorganisation consultation, began in March last year, was unfair from the start.

Mr Roberts said: "The case has proceeded not simply to be awkward, but there is a much broader principle to be determined.

"The Schools Organisation Committee took only a few minutes to determine the fate of the Otley schools and despite requests from interested parties, did not obtain or present any projections to show the financial implications.

"With the benefit of hindsight, it is now easier to see that the promises made by Education Leeds have not been fulfilled.

"The schools are not ready, monies have been wasted on temporary accommodation and sports fields will be lost if the closure is not stopped."

Mr Roberts said it was important that the reorganisation process was highlighted for the benefit of everyone, not just in Leeds but across the country.

"It is important that the failings of Education Leeds are established so that the children affected by future re-organisations in Leeds and elsewhere will not be subject to the short-comings of the process followed in Otley.

"It is hoped that other children and parents in other areas will not suffer the same mixture of arrogance, incompetence and intransigence."

Anyone who would like to express their support can contact the All Saints Parents Action Group through The Wharfedale and Airedale Observer, 9 Orchard Gate, Otley.

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