PLANS to sacrifice a community social hall for the sake of a new primary school have split parish councillors.

Three members of Fulford Parish Council have quit over the proposal to sell off Fulford Social Hall so that St Oswald's Primary School can be rebuilt.

The social hall, which was bought by the parish council in 1933, houses a library and is used for wedding receptions and other functions.

The parish council has agreed in principle to consider selling it off to help City of York Council finance what is known as a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) for St Oswald's.

A parish room and other meeting rooms would be built into the new school to replace the lost social hall.

The St Oswald's scheme is one of three PFIs planned by York's education authority. Hob Moor School, Acomb, and St Barnabas, in the Leeman Road area, are in line for similar projects.

Under a school PFI, the education authority joins forces with private companies which fund the building of a school.

Their investment is repaid from public money over the same period.

In the case of St Oswald's the parish council has been asked to contribute to a "deposit" on the future school.

But parish councillors Christine Dinsdale and husband and wife Robert and Marilyn Briggs say they do not like the way the parish council has gone about the issue.

Coun Dinsdale believes the parish council is "bulldozing" the scheme through without proper debate.

She said: "The social hall has a lot of historical value and you can get grants to do it up. I do not agree with the what is happening and the way it is being done."

Robert Briggs said: "Given the commercial nature of the PFI bid process there is every chance that Fulford ratepayers will never know if their new facilities represent fair value for money.

"The moral dilemma is so great, that I have felt that I can no longer represent Fulford ratepayers."

Parish council chairman Mike Williamson said he was not aware the councillors had resigned over the PFI issue.

No definite decisions had been made, and a public meeting was planned.

He said: "The parish council has made a decision in principle to support the PFI so it can go forward.

"The parish would end up with better facilities in terms of recreational open space and village hall facilities."

A spokesman for City of York Council said the redevelopment of St Oswald's School would deliver a £4m investment for Fulford, including new primary and nursery schools, a new library and a new parish hall.

Updated: 17:13 Tuesday, October 29, 2002