ONE OF Spennymoor's landmark buildings is to make way for new homes.

Thousands of children have learned in the classrooms of North Road Junior School.

But the sad decision to demolish the 120-year-old building has been reluctantly made by councillors on Sedgefield Borough Council's development control committee.

Council planning officer Charlie Walton told members of the committee at a meeting on Friday that the only way forward for the North Road area would be for the school to be demolished and houses built on the site.

Mr Walton said that he and his local authority colleagues had responded to requests by residents and had tried to get businesses interested in redeveloping the school for community use, but their efforts had been unsuccessful.

He said that businesses had also been approached with the idea of converting the school into flats, but each had said it was not economically viable.

He said: "We could find nobody who wanted to do this. It is such an important building and the only thing we can do is to find a quality development to replace it."

The school is to be replaced by 13 detached and semi-detached homes built by Newton Moor Construction, of Ushaw Moor.

The company has promised to recycle materials from the old school wherever possible.

The school site closed last year, following the merger of North Road Junior School with neighbouring Bessemer Park infant and nursery schools. The new £1.34m North Park Primary School opened last week.

Spennymoor councillor John Kahn said that it was with great sadness that he agreed to the demolition plan.

He said: "My sister and I went to that school and we have some happy memories. I always thought it was a listed property. It is unfortunate that it cannot be restored.

"But it has fallen victim to vandalism and this development is as good as it is going to get. It is with reluctance that I vote for it to go ahead."