ULVERSTON'S Civic Society chairman will hand over a petition against the demolition of an historic former school when the proposal comes before district councillors.

Bernard Ellis will present the petition when the planning application from Crowther Homes Ltd, of Natland, to build 27 flats and 39 houses on the former Ulverston Victora High School lower school site, at Hart Street, is considered by South Lakeland District Council's development control sub-committee on January 30 at the Coronation Hall.

Some 50 people attended a special meeting of the Ulverston and Low Furness Neighbourhood Forum to protest against the proposals.

"They were pretty unanimous when a vote was taken that this school should be retained," said Ulverston and county councillor Wendy Kolbe.

"The general feeling was that people were not happy at all with the over-intensity of the plan and worried about the number of cars it would bring in to the town, traffic problems and the insufficient number of parking spaces allocated.

"It is a very intensive plan in a tight little area just outside the town centre.

People wondered whether the local schools could take the influx of youngsters in 68 dwellings and the main feeling was that people do not want to see the building demolished."

Crowther Homes Ltd has previoulsy told the Gazette that, as far as it was concerned, the site was not commercially viable without demolishing the building.