THERE is no doubt that Rawdon Littlemoor Primary School needs to be replaced. Condemned by Government Ofsted inspectors and with outside toilets up to just four years ago, the Victorian school building is in no way suitable for modern teaching.

No-one would argue that Rawdon schoolchildren deserve a better school, but they would argue that the chosen site - on council-owned land currently used as playing fields - is definitely not the best place.

Education chiefs have argued strongly against rebuilding the Harrogate Road school on its own playing fields - at early meetings with residents they said modern primary schools needed to be single-storey making them accessible to all. A single-storey school would need more land and there was not enough at the present site - but more than enough on the playing fields off New Road Side.

The more sceptical claimed the council would be quids in by selling off the old school site, but no, that had nothing to do with it - it was purely a matter of space, said the council. Now, just a few weeks later, outline plans for the new school have gone in - and for a two-storey building, not a single one.

The council claims the scheme is not necessarily the one that will be built - but once approved in outline, it will be the way that the chosen developer goes.

Farewell to a kind man

It is a real tragedy to the community that top fundraiser and athlete Derek Emsley has died. The champion runner will be a great loss to Yeadon and to all who knew him.

Despite being diagnosed with terminal cancer a year ago Mr Emsley had continued to take part in marathon races to raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Relief.

He was determined to raise money to fund Macmillan nurses. He told the Wharfedale Observer that he was doing it for others who would be diagnosed with cancer after he was gone.

Such a kind and generous man will be sadly missed.