SEVERAL former schools may be demolished and the land on which they stood sold to developers, raising millions of pounds.

Darlington Borough Council could make as much as £9m from the sale of eight school plots.

At present, only land that has already been built on can be developed into homes and flats - there are strict planning constraints that prevent building on playing fields.

However, the council has not ruled out putting homes on school fields in the future.

The opportunity for cashing in on the school sites, which become available between next month and early next year, is detailed in a report that will go before the council next week.

The schools are Harrowgate Hill Infants, Beaumont Hill School's three sites, Springfield Primary, Sadberge Primary, Eastbourne Nursery and Albert Hill Nursery.

Rise Carr Primary, which closed last month, is not included in the report because it is a listed building.

Its future will be debated at a later date.

Set against the potential multi-million pound windfall from the sale of the sites, is the cost of maintaining the playing fields at the schools and protecting the buildings from vandals, or the cost of demolishing them.

The report, by the development and environment department, said: "It is anticipated substantial capital receipts, considered to be in the range of £7m to 9m, could be achieved if the footprints of all school buildings were sold for residential development.

"This sum will be reduced if any of the schools are retained for council usage."

It recommends demolishing the buildings as quickly as possible to avoid vandalism and estimates that would cost about £540,000.

An alternative is boarding them up at a cost of £56,000, increasing security patrols and community warden visits, and installing more burglar alarms.

The report says housing development at Harrowgate Hill Infants, Eastbourne Nursery and Albert Hill Nursery would be straightforward.

The Beaumont Hill School sites have the most money-making potential and will be marketed for development as one lot.

The council is considering using Springfield School for offices and will consult Sadberge Parish Council over the future of the site.

Beaumont Hill and Springfield Primary become redundant from November when pupils transfer to the Education Village, at Haughton.