THE demolition a derelict school building in County Durham has been welcomed by the local authority.

A fire at the former Greenland School, in South Moor, Stanley, earlier this year destroyed a significant part of the and left much of the rest of it unsafe.

After carrying out an inspection of the site, Durham County Council contacted the building’s owner to request that it be demolished in the interests of public safety.

As a result, work to demolish the affected building is now almost complete and the council is now calling for the site, which was sold by the authority in 2016, to be redeveloped.

Stephen Reed, Durham County Council’s planning development manager, said: “We are pleased to see that, following our advice, the owner of the building has gone ahead with demolition and that this is now nearing completion.

“We are aware, however, that residents will be keen to see the site redeveloped so we will be encouraging the owner to work towards securing a viable future for it.”

Last month, senior officers from the council met with representatives from Durham Constabulary and Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service as well as county councillors to discuss the long-term future of the Greenland site.

Councillor Carole Hampson , ward member for Craghead and South Moor, said: “I am sure that residents will welcome the demolition of the building, which has been a cause of concern for many people, particularly since the fire in June.

“I’m sure everyone will now be hoping that the owners will continue this proactive approach by working to bring the site back into use as soon as possible.”