A FORMER caretaker’s house in Poole is set to be sold by BCP Council with the money going to projects for the neighbouring junior school and other schools in the conurbation.

Council leader Cllr Drew Mellor will ask councillors to sign off on the disposal of 21 Mill Lane, which is currently vacant and considered surplus to requirements.

A report outlining the leader’s intended decision said the property, which is adject to the school entrance, had been marketed openly through a residential estate agent and a sale had been agreed.

The capital receipt from the sale of the Whitecliff site will be reinvested into projects at Baden Powell and St Peter’s Church of England Junior School (BPSP), and other schools within the local authority area.

While the council report does not disclose the sale price, an estate agent listing for the address from Frost & Co had a guide price of £600,000.

Councillors will be asked to approve the sale at full council on the evening of Tuesday, July 12.

The report, which is written by the council’s senior estates surveyor Sarah Knott, said: “Historically the property was used as a caretaker’s house by BPSP (now part of Coastal Learning Partnership Academy) but was handed back to the Council as they no longer required it for this purpose.

“BPSP were given the opportunity to consider whether they could put the property to any other educational uses.

“However, the location of the property at some distance from the main school buildings, and crucially its location outside of the school boundary, meant that this would not be operationally viable.

“Furthermore, the property is relatively small, dated and requires a significant investment to make it useable.

“After careful consideration regarding potential alternative operational uses, the property was declared surplus by corporate property group in April 2020 and the decision taken to dispose of the property.”

Bournemouth Echo: BCP Council leader Cllr Drew MellorBCP Council leader Cllr Drew Mellor (Image: BCP Council)

A strip of land on the site was transferred from the school to the council to satisfy the former’s concerns regarding third party access over their site in the future.

Planning permission for change of use to a private residential property was secured in March last year and the Education Secretary signed off on the disposal in December.

After being listed with estate agents in March of this year, a sale, subject to contract, was agreed in late April.

The report said all departments in the council were consulted to confirm there was no operational requirement for the property, while Parkstone ward councillors Ann Stribley and Steve Baron raised no objections.