A Horsforth community centre which residents feared was threatened could now be safe after all.

Local people were angry when the Stanhope Drive centre was put on the market and they argued they had not been fully consulted about the sale.

But now they have been given a fresh reason to hope, after it was revealed that of the handful of offers to be made none had reached the expected price of £470,000.

Residents had been afraid that the site could be used for a three-storey block of flats, and that the development could threaten trees which were planted in memory of those who died in the First World War.

They were given reassurances by the ward councillors who stressed that the exercise was one of market testing to see if the sale would raise enough to develop a new centre in Town Street.

Now one of them, Coun Andy Barker has revealed that only about three bids were made and that none of them had met the anticipated price.

Now the matter will have to go before the council's Executive Board which meets for the next time on April 4.

Coun Barker had given assurances that no decision had been taken but that efforts were being made to test the market.

He stressed that even if a certain price was offered no further action would be taken until after a period of consultation to allow everyone to have their say.

He stressed that any sale would have strict conditions attached to it.

Now he has revealed that none of the bids have reached the anticipated amount and now the issue would be referred back to the Executive Board for the ultimate decision.

"It hasn't reach the sort of price we would have liked it to reach," he said He said the latest development supported their argument that that matter was not cut and dried.

And he said that far from encouraging out of character development councillors had insisted on a number of planning restrictions to protect the character of the area.

"They were talking about flats being built but we told them it wouldn't happen," he stressed.

He said the offers had not reached the level necessary for the transfer of the facilities, which include a youth club, to Town Street.

But many local people were adamant that they did not want their children to have to go to Town Street, which is also home to a number of pubs and bars.

But Coun Barker argued that putting the club on 'neutral' territory would have extended its use to people from outside the Stanhope Drive area.

"All we were trying to achieve was a youth service for everybody in Horsforth," he said.

ends.