PARENTS fighting to save a Rawdon playgroup from closure appear to have won a temporary reprieve from the trustees who threatened to evict them, writes John Baron.

At a crisis meeting between parents and staff from Greenacre Pre School and two of the trustees of its base, Greenacre Community Hall, it was agreed that no immediate action would be taken to evict the pre school.

Now, the senior trustees and pre school management have agreed to meet again in private with an independent mediator as chairman to thrash out the future of the group at Greenacre Hall.

As revealed in the Wharfedale Observer, the trustees had sent a solicitor's letter before Christmas threatening to evict the pre school by January 4 unless it entered into negotiations for a 10-year lease.

But parents said it was impractical to enter into a lease, claiming it would cost too much money and that the trustees had not given them enough notice over the Christmas period.

Two of the trustees who attended the meeting, Councillor Mike Dunn (Lab, Aireborough) and Brian Lees agreed that the solicitor's letter threatening eviction was badly worded and said that they did not want the pre school to close.

Coun Dunn also admitted that there had been antagonism between the pre school and some of the trustees and agreed that a lease of ten years would be too long in this case.

"The solicitor's letter was sent at the wrong time of year with the wrong

wording," he added.

Mr Lees, who claimed he had not seen the letter, said: "The solicitor's wording is absolutely disgusting. I must admit I'm appalled by it.

"The only way forward is for us to sit around the table and sort it all out."

Pre school worker Rachel Dean, who chaired the meeting, said that the

situation had become out of hand and unpleasant.

"Since the only figures offered to us in writing last May, we have had nothing else in writing. We have wanted to meet and had the trustees sat down in a

reasonable manner two years ago, the matter wouldn't have gone this far.

"We have been attempting to get

reasonable and realistic figures to discuss for some time."

She also said that Coun Dunn wanted to give the pre school only seven days before eviction notices were served.

But Coun Dunn said: "We have had no success in getting the Pre School behind the negotiating table. All we have wanted to do is to get them to discuss the lease with the trustees but we have been met with evasion. We just want to get around the table. If what has been proposed is not amicable then we would like to have a dialogue with the pre school."

Coun Dunn also criticised parents who labelled the trustees 'Scrooges' in the original Wharfedale Observer story, which revealed the eviction threats. "Being labelled Scrooges is an insult. We have been demonised. We are entirely

voluntary and we are trustees of the hall for no reward," he added.

The crunch meeting which will see various options discussed including a lease or room-hire agreement, will be held on February 4 at Greenacre Hall.

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