A SCHEME to build houses in the grounds of soon to close Malsis School is up in the air after it emerged legal agreements have never been signed.

Outline planning permission to build 50 homes on two separate sites at the private school in Glusburn were given earlier this year - but as an enabling development to secure the future of the struggling school.

Permission was also dependent on legal agreements ensuring money from the development was used for urgent repairs to the listed Malsis Hall and for community sport facilities.

A merger with Giggleswick School had also been proposed, but last month it was announced that would not now go ahead and Malsis would close before the end of the year.

Governors at Giggleswick School pulled out of the merger after it was discovered Giggleswick would have to put at least £1.5 million into Malsis on top of what was gained from the proposed housing development.

Unexpected additional costs were also discovered, which meant plans to save the school through the housing development were simply too late.

It came as a blow to the around 50, mainly local, people employed at Malsis, including those who gave their backing to the proposed housing developments.

A spokesman for Craven District Council said: "Both planning decisions were subject to the applicant first entering into legal agreements to secure certain requirements.

"These agreements have not been signed and therefore the planning permissions have not been formally granted."

The spokesman added: "The matters to be secured by the agreements included - investing money from the developments into the repair of the listed building to allow its continued use as a school, and improving the sporting facilities at the school and allowing local community groups to access those facilities - compensate for sporting land lost by the development."

He said the council would now have to consider how to progress with the undetermined planning applications.

Governors