Former schools could be converted to commercial property space across the UK, if a scheme in Stoke on Trent is deemed a success.
Stoke on Trent City Council is currently selling off nine abandoned schools, as they have already gained planning permission to be converted into new office space for the region, according to The Sentinel.
The sites were originally considered to deal with the housing shortage in the country, but councillors have now suggested that they are perfect for commercial development schemes. It is hoped that the selling of the properties will raise £5 million, with cabinet members expected to approve the plans soon. These proposals are part of the wider £261 million which has been invested through the Building Schools for the Future programme by the council, that sees many surplus blocks being removed for new use.
One such property that will be for sale is the The Discovery Academy's schools in the south and north, both of which will be empty in September after they move to the Bentilee sites in the summer.
Local residents have already come out in support of the scheme, wanting the sites to be used for something else than just new homes, especially as a lot of community services have closed in the area in the past few years.
According to The Sentinel, a report to the cabinet stated: “If the sites are sold on reasonably quickly to a developer, the council will not need to demolish the buildings at all. Developers would carry out this work themselves.”
It is hoped that if the council is successful, the same method may be implemented across the UK in the near future. This news comes just after various councils across the country having applied to opt out of empty commercial blocks being converted into residential housing without any planning permission being needed.