TWO university chiefs from York and Leeds today gave their backing to the bid by St Peter's School to buy the Queen Anne School site in York.

The site off Bootham, which takes in a Grade II listed building, is up for sale and the City of York Council is considering seven bids for the site, including one from St Peter's, next door.

Professors Ron Cooke and Alan Wilson, vice-chancellors of York and Leeds universities, today urged the council to choose the St Peter's bid.

The University of Leeds awards degrees from the College of Ripon and York St John and Askham Bryan College. Both universities have a right of nomination to St Peter's governing body.

In a joint letter to the Evening Press, they say they want to give their "unequivocal support to St Peter's School in its bid to purchase the redundant Queen Anne School site".

They say: "We believe that St Peter's has an overwhelming case to be allowed to purchase the Queen Anne site from the City of York Council and that it will be in the best interests of the city, the local community as well as the school, that it should do so, given the school's further commitment to ensuring wider community access to the site to the benefit of a wide range of community-based organisations.

"York's reputation as a centre of learning and academic innovation is growing, and it is because there is a sound educational base in the city comprising both the maintained and private sectors, the university and other centres of tertiary education, that such a reputation is possible of fulfilment."

Andrew Trotman, headmaster of St Peter's School, said: "The letter from two of our nominating bodies underlines the importance of keeping the whole of the Queen Anne site for educational use as it is designated and as it appears in the local plan.

"The school regards itself as a committed and active member of the local community and this is central to our bid. St Peter's presents a robust, clean bid - with no delay, no demolition and a coherent transport policy committed to reducing traffic in the area."

Roy Templeman, director of environment and development services, said the council was in the process of looking at seven bids and he could not reveal any details about the other six."