A dilapidated Victorian school building in a County Durham town centre is to be demolished after a structural engineer found there were ‘substantial defects’. Stanley Board School was fenced off in early autumn after severe weather made the roof of the historic site unsafe.
Karbon Homes, which bought the building on Front Street in Stanley last year, said the cordon was in place for public safety and it was ‘exploring different options’. The housing association commissioned a specialist structural engineering contractor to carry out an inspection of the building, to advise on any further action needed.
Sarah Robson, the housing association’s director of development and regeneration, said: “The survey concluded that the building is in poor structural condition, with substantial structural defects. The left-hand section of the building, as you are looking at it from the Front Street, is in the worst condition and cannot be made safe via any remedial works.
“In light of these findings, we have taken the decision to demolish the building and we’re submitting a prior notification of approval for demolition works to Durham County Council.”
The application will initially be for the demolition of the left-hand section of the building. An ecology survey will be carried out from May to September 2025, which means a planned demolition cannot begin until autumn.
Ms Robson said: “Regarding the other two sections of the board school, due to the multiple issues with the structure and overall condition of the buildings, the investment needed to preserve its structure is unviable. Therefore, we have made the decision to demolish them at the same time and we will be carrying out the necessary surveys and submitting a planning application for this later next year.”
The Board School was built in 1893 in a Jacobean style and opened the following year to educate children aged five to 14. Previously owned by Durham County Council, it has been empty for many years and is now derelict. It was bought by a property developer in 2014 for £150,000 who had plans to create three apartments that ultimately did not come to fruition.
It was hoped the site could be saved and options proposed by Karbon Homes initially included creating a youth hub, housing, a business and community hub, or a community cafe. However the damning outcome of the engineer’s report means the site could be cleared within a year.
Durham County Councillor Carl Marshall, who represents the area on the local authority, said: “Since taking ownership of the board school Karbon Homes have been working closely with our community on its future purpose and plans to regenerate the site. This is a positive step from Karbon in supporting the wider regeneration of our town centre and I’m delighted they have taken ownership of the building that has blighted our town for years.”
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View news Source: https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/victorian-school-county-durham-unsafe-30624341
