STOURPORT school bosses are looking to sell off part of its grounds for housing to fund urgent restoration to protect its existing buildings.

As many as 130 houses could be built on greenbelt land and the former sixth form block at Stourport High School and VI Form College, in Minster Road.

A request for a screening opinion has been submitted to Wyre Forest District Council for the development and any funds generated will be used for much-needed repairs. The request for a screening opinion is to determine whether an environmental impact assessment would be required if an outline planning application was to be submitted.

The cash raised from the sale of the site - as well as any money received from the Department for Education - would be used to build a two-storey classroom teaching block to replace temporary classrooms, which the school was granted planning permission for in July this year.

The school was also given the green light to build a new two-storey sixth form block.

While funding is available for the new sixth form block, there is no cash available for the teaching block and the housing development would play a key part in paying for the new building.

Any additional funding from the sale of the site would be used to undertake essential repair and maintenance work on the existing school buildings.

Agents representing Stourport High School said they had chosen to go down this route due to fears the condition of the buildings could deteriorate in the near future.

In a letter to the district council's planning department, Simon Hawley from Harris Lamb Property Consultancy, said: "While the Department for Education have agreed with our surveyors analysis of the condition of the buildings they are not in a position to make any significant funds available for rebuilding the school.

"There is a clear requirement for the school to generate as much funding as possible to assist in any future development projects.

"It is, however, now clear that even with the funding generated by the school from the sale of the surplus land for housing that the DfE will not be able to provide enough match funding for any significant new development.

"Clearly this is unfortunate but it is a situation that we have to work with.

"Therefore, it is no longer our intention to submit a planning application for a new school and the residential development of the surplus land in the school's control.

"Instead it is our intention to submit a planning application proposing the development of the surplus land for residential development in isolation."

The proposed site is within the greenbelt and is approximately 3.7 hectares of previously developed and greenfield land.

Mr Hawley added: "It is our preferred approach to submit an outline planning application as the school will not be the final developer.

"The site can be sold with the benefit of planning permission to a housebuilder who can use the reserved matters process to establish the exact details of the site.

"I do, however, fully appreciate that the site is in the greenbelt and the impact of the proposed development on the openness of the greenbelt and the other purposes of the greenbelt land will be a key factor for the local authority in determining the planning application.

"This is not an ideal situation - however it is the only realistic option available for protecting the school and buildings from serious structural deficiencies in the short to medium term."

Residents can comment on the screening opinion by visiting wyreforestdc.gov.uk/planning-and-buildings and searching for application number 16/0704/EIASC.