Council deal to share former grammar school at risk

Amber Valley Borough Council took ownership of the former grammar school in 2022

Derbyshire County Council has said it could pull out of a deal to occupy part of the refurbished Heanor Grammar School.

Amber Valley Borough Council (AVBC) took on the listed building after receiving £8.6m in government funding and then agreed a controversial deal to lease part of it to the county council for office space.

However, Councillor Stephen Reed, Derbyshire's cabinet member for business services, said the borough council had repeatedly changed the terms of the deal by altering the lease cost and adjusting the amount the county council would pay for.

A spokesperson for AVBC said the authority was continuing to "engage with the county council in a constructive and professional manner".

Heanor Grammar School won two awards at the Derbyshire Historic Buildings Trust Architecture Awards

The decision to offer part of Heanor Grammar School to Reform UK-run Derbyshire County Council (DCC) was made in July by the leader of Labour-controlled AVBC, Chris Emmas-Williams.

Part of the building would provide office space for about 150 staff while other sections would be available for community use.

DCC said it welcomed the agreement as it would keep public money in public hands and give staff "a more modern working environment".

But it was criticised by some Amber Valley councillors because they had expected more opportunities for local people to use the building.

In July, the Mayor of Heanor and Loscoe Town Council Alan Abernethy said "the way it's been done and the fact we're getting so little use of it... we've been let down".

Councillor Stephen Reed says he is still happy to work with Amber Valley Borough Council

A record of the decision taken on 25 July stated leasing Heanor Grammar to the county council offered "immediate full occupation [of the building], a stable and predictable income stream, and a substantial reduction in operational and financial risk to the council".

But Councillor Reed said AVBC had repeatedly "moved the goalposts" by changing the cost of the lease, adjusting how much of the building the county council would pay for and, crucially, by asking DCC to be responsible for maintaining the whole building even though they are only leasing part of it.

He said: "[This agreement] was doing what they said, keeping public assets, public money in the one place rather than going into private coffers.

"It was great. It was doing all of those things and providing frontline services to the community, and community access to the building.

"Now it's gotten to the point where it's no longer in the best interests of Derbyshire County Council or its residents.

"And so we either get back to negotiating in good faith, or we have to find an alternative.

"It's not good value for the county council, it's not good value for the residents and it's not good value for Amber Valley."

The listed building has undergone extensive refurbishment since closing in 2013

A spokesperson for Amber Valley Borough Council said: "It would be inappropriate to comment on the details of ongoing commercial negotiations.

"However, we remain committed to securing a sustainable future for The Grammar that balances a fair market rate with strong community benefit.

"We continue to engage with Derbyshire County Council in a constructive and professional manner, and remain focused on reaching an agreement that works for both organisations and for local residents."