WHY hasn’t the arson-hit wreck of a former school been pulled down?
That was the question posed by members of Gainford Parish Council after hearing that a decision on whether to demolish St Peter's had still not been made by county planners – more than seven months after an application to tear down the building had been lodged.
Officials at Ruttle Plant, which owns the dilapidated building, said it should be razed after a structural survey warned it was in danger of collapse.
Structural engineer Clive Oliphant, who carried out the survey on behalf of Ruttle, last February, concluded the remains of the building should be pulled down “at the earliest opportunity”.
The ex-school has been empty since 1998 and has been the target of arsonists and antisocial behaviour in recent years.
At the most recent meeting of Gainford Parish Council, Cllr Maire Kennan queried why the building was still standing.
“The site is causing concern because it is a focus of antisocial behaviour and it is incredibly dangerous,” she said.
“The last time I was round the back, there were a lot of slates hanging loose.”
Despite the findings of the structural survey and the parish council’s concerns, Stephen Reed, Durham County Council’s planning development manager, said the application to demolish St Peter's was still being looked at.
“Consideration is still being given to relevant matters raised by the planning application, including whether a suitable scheme of remediation for the site can be produced. We hope that a resolution can be reached in the near future.”
He added: “Our building control service regularly inspects the site and has recently reviewed a structural survey provided by the site’s owner.
“A perimeter fence is also in place to ensure that there is no damage from falling debris. This is something which is monitored on a regular basis.”
Attempts to redevelop the former school have come to nothing since 1998, when the building was used as a nursing home before its closure.
Initially, the former Teesdale District Council refused to consider plans for a residential development on the grounds that the area was earmarked for business use.
Since the switch to the Durham unitary authority in 2009, housing developments have been considered.
But while Ruttle Plant owns the buildings, the land to the rear of St Peter’s is in the hands of house builder Kebbell Homes.
The two firms have been unable to reach an agreement for the development of the whole site and Kebbell’s most recent plans to build houses on the land it owns were refused as county councillors said they wanted to see the whole St Peter’s site developed.
