Extracted from KentLive – 10 September 2017 – By Gabriel Shepard.
Kent County Council is in talks to buy the former Royal School for Deaf Children in Margate and turn it into a new secondary school.
The authority believes purchasing the site could be the answer to a predicted shortfall in places for the Isle’s 11 to 18-year-olds.
The historic Victoria Road school closed in December 2015 after administrators were called in amid concerns from the regulator and allegations of abuse.
Hundreds lost their jobs as a result.
The 15-acre site and buildings were put on the market last autumn – with property developers thought to be the likely buyer
But a report shows Kent County Council is nearing completion on a deal.
Eight-figure sum
The purchase price is being kept secret to protect the authority’s commercial interests.
However, recent land sales in Margate have netted about £700,000-an-acre meaning the deal is likely to stretch into eight figures.
In a report to members of the property sub committee, corporate services boss Cllr Eric Hotson said the purchase would “assist in meeting the new secondary school provision in Thanet identified in the Commissioning Plan for Education Provision in Kent 2017-21”.
He added: “I propose to agree to the acquisition of the Royal School for Deaf Children, Victoria Road, Margate, CT9 1NA on the terms set out in the exempt report and to delegate authority to the director of infrastructure, in consultation with the cabinet member for corporate and democratic services, to finalise the terms of the proposed acquisition and the sale of any surplus property.”
Extracted from KentLive – 10 September 2017 – By Gabriel Shepard.
