Bid to convert Derbyshire police station and school into homes

The former sites of both Brailsford Primary School and Wirksworth Police Station have been vacant for the past three years.

The police station was decommissioned, along with 57 other sites owned by the force across the region, in a bid to save money.

The school was moved to a new brand new building to the north of the village to cater for more pupils.

However, plans are now afoot to bring both of the buildings back into use to provide new homes.

Oliver Needham has filed an application to Derbyshire Dales District Council to turn the former primary school, in Main Road, into a house.

The main school building was originally built in 1824 with further extensions completed in 1880 and 1920.

The plan includes the demolition of the 1960s rear extension which would be replaced with a new structure. The playground would also be demolished.

The distinctive school bell on the roof would be restored along with the clock –  both are to be maintained to English Heritage standards, according to the planning application.

The bell will continue to sound on the hour but will be silenced overnight “reflecting the change from an unoccupied building overnight to a family home”.

Meanwhile, David Treasure has filed plans to the district council to turn the former police station, in Oat Hill, into a house.

Half of Derbyshire’s police stations, including the one in Wirksworth, were closed in 2015 in a bid to make cost savings to avoid having to make police officers redundant.

The Police and Crime Commissioner at the time, Alan Charles, said “we are having to rationalise and reduce our estate by half”.

Both applications will be decided in the next few weeks.

Eddie Bisknell , Local Democracy Reporting Service