By DAISY WALLAGE


Friday, March 4, 2011
6:30 AM

Swaffham’s former Hamond’s sixth-form centre could be transformed into 14 new homes under plans submitted to Breckland Council.

The Hamond’s Educational Charity, which owns the former grammar school, has applied for planning permission and listed buildings consent for a range of houses and flats in the Market Place.

But the project is likely to make little profit – and may even make a loss.

Hamond’s High School used the historic buildings until summer last year when a new, purpose-built sixth form opened at its Brandon Road grounds.

An economic assessment submitted with the application states that a £26,512 profit could be made with the project, provided the properties are all sold at market value.

But if some were to be affordable homes, there could be a £993,338 loss based on projected selling prices, the report warns.

The assessment, prepared by Brown and Co for the trustees, said: “The conclusion is that the proposed scheme is marginal even on the basis of all the dwellings being market homes. It is clear from the calculation that the inclusion of four ‘affordables’ would result in a loss of approaching £1m and in fact, even a single affordable home would make the scheme unviable.”

Some of the buildings are more than 200 years old and all are listed.

The scheme shows the buildings fronting the Market Place converted into a pair of large semi-detached houses, a two-storey block of classrooms on the southern side of the site converted into three flats and a former gymnasium fronting Whitsands Road to the rear into four town houses.

A corrugated iron building at the heart of the 0.8 acre site would be demolished and replaced with two pairs of new semi-detached homes.

Estimated selling prices range from £109,950 for a ground floor flat to £287,5000 for the right-hand semi facing the Market Place.

Breckland is due to make a decision on the application by May 23.

daisy.wallage@archant.co.uk

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• There are many houses and housing developments on the outskirts of the town. Why not make use of the buildings as a shopping centre and piazza that could do a great deal to help revitalise the town centre?

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  nick ford

  Friday, March 4, 2011

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