FRESH hope could be on the horizon for York community groups after they were threatened with being turfed out of their building.

Groups that use the Institute building in Escrick Street faced the threat of homelessness when the city council said it was stopping leasing the space from the nearby Melbourne Terrace Methodist Church, because the youth club which was run in the building was set to close.

This would have left three other clubs which use the building - a Gateway Club for people with learning difficulties and two pre-school groups - potentially without a home by the summer.

Furious group leaders demanded answers from council chiefs, saying they had been left in the dark about the plans.

After a meeting between the youth services officers and community group members, the council agreed to continue leasing the building for six more months - giving groups until the end of September to come up with a plan for the future.

Plans are also in the pipeline for another organisation to move its administrative headquarters into the building, which would secure the future of other clubs using the space.

Sarah Pirie, who runs the weekly Gateway club with her husband, Simon, said she was "hopeful" a future for the building could be secured.

Nearly 50 people use the club, which has been running in the building for nearly 15 years.

Mrs Pirie said: "We're certainly not going to close the club. We're putting feelers out to see if there are any other buildings.

"A lot of our members have been very worried. Although we're still not happy about the situation, at least we have got until September."

She said there was "no way" voluntary groups could afford to take on the lease of the building themselves.

Fishergate ward councillor Andy D'Agorne said the council's decision to extend its lease of the building was "positive" news.

He said: "It's a very positive outcome from the situation we had only a few weeks ago, when everyone was going to be thrown out.

"Obviously there's still further discussion and quite a lot more work to do to make sure the long-term future is secured."

Updated: 10:42 Wednesday, March 30, 2005