Historic school building could be sold off next year

THE historic Grappenhall Hall School could be sold off by Warrington Borough Council early next year.
But first a planning brief will be prepared for the site, outlining options for its future use bearing in mind its sensitive location close to the Grappenhall Village conservation area and St Wilfrid’s primary school.
A question mark has hung over the former residential school ever since it closed in 2015.
Possible future uses as a hotel, free school or nursing home have been rumoured.
But the borough could not dispose of the site without the permission of the Secretary of State for Education.
This has now been obtained and the next step will be the preparation of a planning brief.
Cllr Ryan Bate, in an update to Grappenhall and Thelwall Parish Council, said a consultation would be carried out with residents, the parish council and other affected parties.
This was likely to take place in September or October.
If the outcome is that the site is to be disposed of, it was likely to be by public tender in the first quarter of 2018.
In the meantime, Cllr Bate is to liaise with Warrington Borough Council over the interim security of the site, grass cutting, etc.
Last year, members of neighbouring Stockton Heath Parish Council expressed concern over the future of the former school.
They stressed that valuable green space around the building should be preserved.
Any future development on the site would be restricted due to access issues in the conservation area and the proximity of the primary school, they believed.