"Published on Wednesday 22 June 2005 14:57 ST ELPHIN'S School, in Darley Dale, could be turned into a retirement village if planning permission is granted for the historic building's new owners. The school site was bought last week for an undisclosed sum by London-based care home company Raven Audsley Court who specialise in private retirement complexes. The company plan to house 90 residents in a number of new buildings while retaining the old school buildings for communal facilities. Nick Sanderson, chief executive of Raven Audley Court, said: "Hopefully we are going to remove the uncertainty hanging over it. "The plan for St Elphin's is to provide independent housing for older people but with a range of support services on site so they can live in their own homes." Mr Sanderson predicts that retirement villages are going to become increasingly common in the UK – following an example set in South Africa and the US. Although Derbyshire Dales District Council have not yet received a planning application, Mr Sanderson is confident about his company's plans for the former school. He said: "We have had long discussions with the planning department and Darley Dale Town Council. "Because we are a continuation of the existing use, we believe that planning should not be a problem." Darley Dale Mayor John Evans said: "It was discussed and we felt as a town council that it was quite a good idea, provided it is done sensibly and they don't want to build outside the existing footprint – which they assured us they don't." The historic school was closed in March amid an outcry by angry parents whose children's education was jeopardised by the sudden decision. After several years of financial uncertainty the school was bought in 2004 for 2.4 million by a company described as 'a group of local businessmen who wanted to remain anonymous'. St Elphin's continued to operate as a school for two terms before it was closed because it was no longer financially viable. St Elphin's/Darley Dale Ltd boss Kevin Burke said: "We should not have bought the school. We made a bad business decision. Now we are moving on." The company had hoped to gain extra funds through a planning application to build 100 houses on the school grounds. But the bid was opposed by over 100 local householders in the Darley Residents Action Group and was refused by Derbyshire Dales District Council because it contravened the local plan which protects open spaces between Darley Dale and Matlock. Tim Cunningham"
Reprinted by kind permission of Matlock Mercury |
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