Developers may snap up six Walsall schools and build houses on the land if the Government gives the go-ahead to sell them on the open market.
The buildings, playing fields and grounds will be marketed as individual plots if the Department for Children, Schools and Families(DCSF), formerly the Department for Education and Skills, approves.
The schools involved are Clothier Street and Lakeside primary schools, Little London JMI, all Willenhall, Moxley Infants, Moxley, Beechdale Primary and Three Crowns Special School, both Walsall.
All were shut down because of falling roll numbers.A public consultation finished at the end of July and Walsall Council has decided to forge ahead with plans to sell off the sizeable plots.
Ann Llewellyn, principal estates surveyor at the council, said: “The local consultation over plans to sell-off playing fields and buildings at disused schools are now complete.
“An application will be made to the Department for Children, Schools and Families for permission to sell off such sites.”
The playing fields combined total 20 acres and money made from the sale of the sites would be spent on sport and recreation in schools and the community, said the council.
Residents and campaigners regularly complain to the local authority that empty buildings are a magnet for arsonists and vandals.
Arsonists attacked a mobile classroom in the grounds of Moxley Infants on Sunday evening.
John Wildman, Watch Commander at West Bromwich Station, warned that one arson attack on derelict or disused buildings was often followed by others.
By Lyndsey Hunt
5 Comments
Why are they getting rid of these schools couldn’t be to bolster the coffers for their pensions and perks could it.
You have six sites here that could be put to good use for youngsters, out of work people or pensioners but they won’t be.
We are campaigning to give people a proper chance with an idea that is believed will be beneficial to everyone. Yet President Bliar etc are not or have not even been interested.
Perhaps there are some millionaire’s out there can can provide a small finance to get groups up and running i’m sure all of these people would prefer to use money for the good of the communities than pumping money into the corrupt political parties we have now.
I believe there is a program to be shown on C/4 this week about politicians and their true causes.
I have stated ever since President Bliar was put in charge of the English government he and his cronies main intention was to destroy England that he has done:((
Get snouts out the trough party
Lakeside should stay, infact they should of extended the school or make a new one on the same ground.
The big walsall school land sell off.Money going to sports etc.
i wonder how much is going towards walsall town improvements.You never know perhaps willenhall and Darlaston might see some improvements to their delapidated town centres.Perhaps not.
I’m not sure about the other schools but the Three Crowns special school, was puposely wound down by encouraging mainstream schools to accept disabled pupils. This has resulted in many special schools closing down.
Does anyone know if the Spinney, attached to the site, will be developed?
Emmanuel School in Walsall is looking for new premises, so why can’t the council offer the Three Crowns to them, for a pepper corn rent for say two years, whilst it remains empty and doing nothing.