Backing for plans to demolish school

Residents in Easington Colliery have overwhelmingly backed plans to demolish a former school building which has stood empty since 1997.

Various owners of the building, on Seaside Lane, have been unable to find a use for it in the past 23 years and it has become a target for vandals, Durham Council has said.

Earlier this year, Durham County Council consulted with local residents to bring the site back into public ownership due to a lack of interest from developers.

The council say that almost 350 people gave their views, with a majority of 91% voting to demolish the old school.

Councillor Kevin Shaw, Durham County Council’s Cabinet member for strategic housing and assets, said: “We already knew that residents were keen to see the situation with the school resolved after many years of lobbying by the elected members, who had raised the community’s frustrations.

“The consultation in January clearly demonstrated the appetite for action to be taken, with the vast majority of people agreeing with our conclusion that demolition is now the only realistic way forward.

“I cannot stress enough how hard we have worked to find a viable future for the building, but after more than two decades of working closely with every owner and investigating all possible options, it has simply not been possible to do so.”

If approved, the plans will see the site cleared and create a pocket park until a permanent use for the land is found.