Dorset Council poised to buy St Mary's School in Shaftesbury
But what will they do with the now redundant buildings?
Last updated 14th Jan 2021
Dorset Council is poised to buy the former St Mary’s School in Shaftesbury
The Catholic boarding school for girls aged 9 to 18 closed down last summer after it was declared insolvent.
The school, which lies just across the border to Wiltshire is in the process of being bought by Dorset Council.
The council has exchanged contracts on the property, but is yet to complete the purchase. Although, that is believed to be happening ‘imminently’.
The plot includes school accommodation, residential accommodation of 4 or 5 houses and modern swimming facilities.
A period of consultation will be carried out to determine its use.
Councillor Tony Ferrari said:
“Opportunities to secure sites like this for Dorset are rare. We are always looking at ways of improving delivery of services for Dorset children and adults and the purchase of the St Mary’s site near Shaftesbury will help us achieve that.
“Following a successful purchase, we will be engaging with local people and stakeholders for their views on the options for use of the site. We are however very ambitious for the site and are determined that it should remain an asset to our community. More information about how local people and stakeholders can contribute their views will be shared shortly.”