OPPOSITION is mounting to a proposal to demolish an historic hall at the heart of a community - with more than 1,000 people backing a petition against the move.

Trustees of Haxby Memorial Hall are considering the future of the building, which needs refurbishment, and have unveiled drawings of a new modern glass structure as one possible way forward.

Other options which residents will be consulted on include repairing the hall - but there would be no library or extra meeting rooms - or retaining part of the old building.

The controversial suggestion to demolish the landmark has triggered the birth of the Save Haxby Memorial Group.

Tina Hull, who set up the group, said local businesses were displaying protest posters, while supporters were mailing leaflets across Haxby and Wigginton in a bid to "save the character of Haxby".

She said the hall was given in trust to Haxby residents, and commemorates the pupils who died in two world wars.

Tina said: "We have collected over 1,000 names for a petition."

She said trustees had "gone public" about a proposed new design without giving the same focus to other possibilities, sparking fears the building's fate was sealed.

Yet demolition was "a very unpopular route", and the conservation area was the wrong location for a modern building, she said. "This building is so important. It is a landmark, part of the history and heritage," she said. "It is the talk of the town. This has been going on for years and in the meantime the fabric of the building has deteriorated. It is an embarrassment."

Victoria Neep, a student who works part-time at Haxby Butchers, said peo ple of all ages and backgrounds had signed the petition, while she has written to the town council and trustees, opposing demolition.

The 19-year-old said: "For me it is important because it is where the war memorial stands and is a historical building. The older generation went to school there. People my age went to playgroup there. It is an integral part of the community. It is not until it is under threat that people realise what it means to them."

Tony Richardson, a Memorial Hall trustee and town councillor, said there were several options on the table, adding: "The plan was to show all the options at the same time."

However, trustees were unable to present details of the work and costs of refurbishing the property until they had received a buildings condition report.

He accepted "the flow of information" had created "confusion", but stressed that residents would play a major role in deciding the building's future when details on all the options were available.

Becky Mitchell and Sarah Driscoll spoke to Haxby residents about the plans to renovate the memorial hall - and everyone who spoke to us said the present faade should be retained.

Barbara McWhirter, 74, from Haxby, said: "The new proposal's horrible. It's absolutely awful. They should keep the faade, but they need to alter the back."

Dave Wilson, 44, a teacher, from Haxby, said: "They should improve the facilities to the rear but they should leave the faade as it is."

Shirley Peters, retired, 71, from Haxby, said: "They should put new facilities into the hall, but they should put them in from the back."

Trevor Wright, 71, from Strensall, said: "We think they should just leave it. It is part of Haxby and it's a memorial so it shouldn't be changed."

Claire Khalil, 54, a housewife, from Haxby, said: "It's an absolute disgrace. I haven't heard anyone say they want to change it."

Nadine Siddle, 26 a physiotherapist from Wigginton, said: "It needs to be updated, but from the inside. You can't just take away an old building."

Updated: 08:39 Friday, August 05, 2005