A REDUNDANT Blackburn nursery is to be knocked down to make way for social housing.

The former Longshaw Nursery building in Crosby Road is to be demolished after its £1.2million relocation to a new building adjacent to the nearby Longshaw Infant School.

Now the site and the cleared land previously occupied by the former Longshaw Home for Older Persons are earmarked for redevelopment by a social housing provider.

The plans are revealed in a report by Blackburn with Darwen Council's education boss Cllr Julie Gunn.

It says: "Due to the very poor state of the building, inadequate classrooms and substandard facilities the building was not fit for purpose.

"An assessment was undertaken to consider remodelling and extending the building but due to the presence of asbestos and irregular construction of the building this was deemed too expensive.

"The only way to improve and expand the facility would be by constructing a modern new nursery facility adjacent to the Longshaw Infant School.

"During 2022, approval was secured for the new building which has now been completed for the September 2023 intake.

"The current nursery is surplus.

"The council wants to demolish the current building to deter anti-social behaviour, fly-tipping and illegal access into the building.

"Leaving the building standing would be a hazard to local residents and attract criminality.

"The council has successfully secured One Public Estate grant funding to carry out asbestos removal and demolition of the building.

"The grant was conditional on the cleared nursery site and the former Longshaw Home for Old People site being developed for the provision of affordable homes by a Registered Provider.

"This report proposes that the land is to be sold to a Registered Provider for affordable housing based on a residual value basis, which may result in a sale of the land at nil value.

"The land at Crosby Road is identified as suitable for housing development in the council’s adopted Local Plan. The site is included in the council’s growth programme to provide residential dwellings.

"It is recommended that the council delegate authority to the strategic director growth and development to consider any objections or comments raised to the proposed disposal of ‘open space’ at Crosby Road and if appropriate approve the proposed disposal for the housing development.

"The demolition of the old nursery buildings will remove an old building unsuitable for continued use, containing asbestos and in disrepair.

"The cleared site will be redeveloped for affordable housing.

"No new funding is required to carry out the demolition."