Fire-damaged school to be demolished as 76-bedroom care home gets green light
Former primary school to make way for new care home after council approval
A derelict former primary school is to be demolished to make way for a new care home.
Wakefield Council has approved proposals to knock down the fire-damaged Castle Grove Infants School site to allow the 76-bedroom facility to be constructed.
The local authority last year announced plans to dispose of the 1.7-acre site as part of efforts to reduce its property portfolio.
The school complex, on Pinfold Lane, closed more than a decade ago after merging with nearby Sandal Endowed CE Junior School.
A planning statement submitted on behalf of applicant North Bay (West Yorkshire) Ltd said: “Since closure, the site has remained disused and fell into further disrepair after a significant fire in November 2021.
“As a result, the structure is now derelict and in a serious state of deterioration.”
The statement said the new two-storey building would feature “generous communal spaces throughout” and include two internal courtyards.
It added: “On the first floor, residents benefit from communal lounges, activity rooms, and a shared terrace, providing a range of settings.
“Both internal and external amenity areas are comparable to those in other successful care home developments by the client, ensuring that the proposed facilities are well aligned with the needs of the residents.”
The council received three objections to the proposal from residents citing concerns over the removal of trees to make way for development.
Opponents also also claimed the new building would have a “negative impact” on neighbouring residential properties.
One resident in favour of the scheme said designs for the facility were “aesthetically pleasing” and appeared to “utilise the space in a clever way.”
A council officer’s report said: “The redevelopment of this previously developed brownfield site would deliver a significant investment in the site, bringing a vacant and deteriorating building back into beneficial use and contributing towards the provision of specialist accommodation for an identified sector of housing need.”
Pupils left Castle Grove in 2015 to continue their education at Sandal Endowed, which was rebuilt and then became known as Sandal Castle Community School.