A CHANGE of heart means that a pensioner is not after all to lose the home she has lived in for 20 years.

The former clerk of Carlton in Cleveland Parish Council, Kathleen Morris, worked at Cleveland Outdoor Education Centre from 1972 and lived in a bungalow on the campus.

Plans to modernise the centre, submitted by its manager, Hartlepool Borough Council, involved building new accommodation and demolishing the bungalow. As there was no suitable accommodation for Mrs Morris in the village, she would have had to leave the area.

Following strong opposition from the parish council and others to the proposed demolition, the applicant had a last minute change of heart in its £2m modernisation scheme.

Mrs Morris attended the planning meeting of the North York Moors National Park Authority to plead for her home, but in the end did not have to as Alan Kell, for Hartlepool Borough Council, said that the plans had been changed to allow the bungalow, the former bursar's house, to remain.

"But at some time in the future, we may need to demolish it," he said.

Mr Kell said that the authority had been aware for many years that the centre, used by children across Teesside, needed refurbishing.

With funding now available from the lottery New Opportunities for Sports and Leisure projects, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, and Redcar and Cleveland, had pooled part of their allocation which had raised £320,000. This figure had now been doubled to enable a start.

"To demolish all the old accommodation and start again would have cost £2m, Mr Kell said.

"Instead a phased programme has been drawn up and will be brought into action as and when funds are available. The first phase will involve replacing the old dormer buildings with modern facilities of stone and timber."

Chief planning officer Val Dilcock said that the centre had operated since the Thirties and was well used to give children the enjoyment of staying in a moorland area.

When not used by school parties the simple accommodation was used by organised groups and ramblers.

The new buildings would cater for fewer children - 48 instead of more than 70 at present - and associated adults, but in much improved surroundings with a new car park.

The plans had been designed to reflect the locality and the environment and were based on the design of the new visitor centre at Helmsley, she said.

The plan was approved.

Mrs Morris said after the meeting: "I am delighted at the decision."