New uses are being sought for the former St Augustine of Canterbury School site in Taunton.
Bath & Wells Diocesan Board of Finance and the Clifton Catholic Diocesan Trustees have called in specialists from Colliers International’s Development Consulting and Agency team to identify new interest and indicative offers for the core part of the site.
Prominently located off Lyngford Road, the surplus buildings and site provides around 50,000 sq ft of accommodation on 3.7 acres.
The surrounding playing fields, owned by Somerset County Council, are not included in a possible disposal.
Chris Dawson, Director at Colliers International, said: “The former Taunton St Augustine of Canterbury School converted to the Taunton Academy, focused on the Ladymead or North site, in 2010.
“Whilst facilities at Ladymead were upgraded the Academy remained in occupation of the former Taunton St Augustine of Canterbury School (the South Site) but this use has now ceased.”
The Dioceses and Somerset County Council held extensive consultations with Taunton Deane Borough Council around possible future uses for the whole school site, which was allocated for residential led mixed use in the Core Strategy and Small Sites Consultation 2010.
The latest Council Site Allocations and Development Management Plan Preferred Options consultation allocates the site as “reserved to meet future educational requirements” but the owners have objected to this.
Working alongside Chris in marketing the site is Ben Meynell who said: “We anticipate interest both around the existing buildings and as a potential development opportunity.
Comprehensive information on the interest being marketed, its background and how it sits in the overall site context is available from our office and we look forward to sharing this with interested parties.”
