School site sold off to meet affordable housing needs

The Ysgol Aberdyfi site has been empty since 2013

A former school is set to be sold for less than its market value so that a council can meet its affordable housing needs.

Ysgol Aberdyfi in Gwynedd was closed five years ago and has remained empty ever since.

Gwynedd Council is now seeking permission to sell the site directly to the housing association, Cartrefi Cymunedol Gwynedd.

If the sale goes ahead, the council will write off more than £130,000.

The school site, in the popular holiday village of Aberdyfi, has been valued at £320,000 on the open market.

But plans to use the site for 11 new affordable houses means the value has decreased to £187,000.

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Dewi Owen, councillor for Aberdyfi, said: "Given that all the houses will be affordable houses, I can understand that the site will not be purchased for the market value.

"The most important thing for the Aberdyfi area is for more houses to be built here. The village, shops and community will benefit from more affordable housing because the housing for sale in the village is out of the price range of the majority of local people."

The council has a legal right, in accordance with the General Disposal Consent (Wales) 2003, to sell for less than market value in cases where social, economic or environmental benefits are provided.

The proposals will be discussed during a special meeting of the cabinet on Tuesday.