ANGRY parents fighting to stop their pre-school from closing were rocked this week when a crunch meeting was suddenly called off.

Representatives from Greenacre Pre-School were due to meet with trustees from Greenacre Community Hall, in Rawdon, to discuss terms for a lease or room-hire agreement next week.

But the trustees have now called off the meeting - much to the anger of the pre-school.

As revealed in the Wharfedale Observer, trustees of Greenacre Community Hall had threatened the pre-school with eviction if they failed to enter into negotiations about signing a lease.

A statement issued by Debra Hinde, marketing manager at Ford and Warren, the solicitors representing trustees from Greenacre Hall Community Association, said that there was no need for a meeting.

"Now that a useful dialogue has commenced between the solicitors representing Greenacre Pre-School and Greenacre Community Hall Association, the association trustees and management committee hope that the terms of the lease can be negotiated to the satisfactory conclusion to all concerned," said Ms Hinde.

"Accordingly, they will not be attending the meeting previously arranged for February 4 as they feel this meeting would interfere with the negotiations being pursued by legal representatives."

But the statement has provoked anger from the pre-school's Rachel Dean, who said: "They claim that useful dialogue has now commenced between solicitors, but surely that should have been between the pre-school and the trustees instead of incurring costs for the preschool and members of the association.

"Surely the users of the hall wish to see their money spent on things for the benefit of the hall instead of on solicitors fees. If the four trustees acted as a unified body and 'useful dialogue' did take place then we may be presented with revised figure work and terms," she said.

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