MOVES to knock down a York school building have been rejected by city planning councillors.

Members attending a City of York Council planning meeting voted down a scheme to demolish the old St Barnabas School.

With youngsters soon to move into a modern building after the half-term break, councillors decided the Victorian building school should be retained for the city - despite officers' views that it was not "of listable quality".

Coun Tracey Simpson-Laing, Labour transport spokeswoman, said she would be pressing for the building to be converted into a new use.

"The old school is a real landmark in the area - it is a large and distinctive brick building and I think residents will be far happier to see it renovated and used for something new rather than knocked down," she said.

Along with the committee, she rejected a report which said the building, built in 1877, was in poor condition, due to structural issues and damp.

Discussions were also heard about including the building in the local list.

Coun Simpson-Laing said: "We've got to start making the most of our old buildings through conversion

and renovation.

"I'll be interested to see any new submission by the Diocese and I hope they will take note of residents concerns, and include them in any future plans to convert the building."

Coun Janet Hopton, the committee chairman, said: "It is a valued part of the historic area and it is a landmark building among a very special grouping of Victorian terraced houses.

"This is a building valued by the local community and we are already losing quite a lot of the small but still important local historical buildings.

"They will come back with something else but we hope with a proposal to convert the building rather than demolish it."

Meanwhile, city planners voted to approve a scheme to build 14 homes on land to rear of the Ainsty Hotel, off Boroughbridge Road.

It was the second application for the site put forward by Cedar Property Developments, following an original scheme which envisaged 15 homes on the site.

That was recommended for refusal by City of York Council planning officers, partly due to the loss of the bowling green, but was withdrawn before it could be considered.

Residents, including 27 who signed a petition opposing the move, objected to the loss of the green space and claimed the size of the two, three and four bedroom homes would be overbearing.

Updated: 10:09 Saturday, October 22, 2005