Warwickshire's empty council buildings get guardians

Antony Schaffarczyk has become a live-in guardian at a former Leamington school

"It's costing me £200 a month to live here and that's including all the bills," said 27-year-old Antony Schaffarczyk who has just moved in to become a live-in guardian at an old Warwickshire school for expelled pupils.

"All I have to do is keep an eye on the place".

Mr Schaffarczyk has made one of the old classrooms his new home. The plan? To save enough for a deposit to buy his first home.

The former pupil referral unit in Leamington is one of 35 empty buildings owned by Warwickshire County Council, most of which were scrapped to save money.

The council is trying to sell some of these properties. In fact, the list up for sale on its website sounds like a Monopoly board: Four libraries, a magistrates court, a youth centre, a fire station and a waste recycling centre.

Thirteen out of those 35 now have live-in guardians whilst the council decides what to do with them.

It is spending more than £150,000 maintaining, securing and paying rates on these buildings but insists it is saving more than it is spending. The authority claims it would cost £500,000 for 24-hour security.

Mr Schaffarczyk converted an old classroom into an apartment

Over in Coventry, the city council has five empty buildings and is spending £60,000. Only one of those properties has live-in guardians.

Property managers Ad Hoc supply the guardians for both areas. The deal? Guardians pay a peppercorn rent to the security firm and agree to report any problems.

The councils pay the utility bills.

The former classroom Mr Schaffarczyk lives in now resembles a studio apartment.

"It was strange initially," he said. "But when you get used to it it just washes over you after a while, it just becomes your home."

The Conservative-led authority in Warwickshire wants to extend the guardian scheme until 2016, but the Labour opposition leader June Tandy is concerned.

Ms Tandy said: "Our community are continually asking us what's going to happen to those premises and I think it's unfair for us to be left in the balance not knowing what they are going to do with them."

The Head of Property at the council, Steve Smith, said: "We're doing a lot of work around determining what we are going to do with empty buildings.

"It is driven by the need to make savings and we want to spend money on public services rather than bricks and mortar."