A FORMER special school in the district could now be sold off by Bradford Council after a community environmental organisation failed in its bid to raise the money to buy it.

The Heaton Royds Special School building, on Redburn Drive, Shipley, was one of the first buildings to be granted community asset status in 2013 shortly after the new regulations were brought in.

Bradford Community Environmental Project applied to Bradford Council for the added protection amid fears the building was to be sold off and lost to the community.

Despite registering an initial interest in the building and triggering a six-month moratorium, BCEP has been unable to raise the funds required to buy the building, and was therefore unable to put in a bid by the deadline.

Now the Council has confirmed that given the lack of bids it is considering whether to put the property up for sale, or to keep it.

Carlton Smith of BCEP told the Telegraph & Argus that they had not been able to gather the funding they needed - about £750,000 - to both buy the building and complete the work on it.

He said they had applied for funding, but that it had been unsuccessful and a search for alternative suitable funding had also been unsuccessful.

He added: "We are still interested in the building, but haven't been able to get the money together. The Council could still look to do a community asset transfer to us."

They had intended turning the building into a community environmental hub along with Bradford Environmental Action Trust and Northcliffe Environmental Enterprise Trust.

A Council spokesman said: "Bradford Community Environment Project nominated the Heaton Royds building to be listed as an asset of community value. Listing can put up to a six month halt on the sale of land or buildings to give interested community groups time to get their proposals and funding in place.

"However, now the six months has elapsed, we are considering whether to keep the property or put it up for sale. If it goes on the market, BCEP will be able to bid for the property alongside other interested parties."

The school was closed in 2010 when the Council deemed it unsuitable for the needs of its pupils, many of whom had mobility problems. Then in 2013 the Government's Education Funding Agency gave permission for the authority to dispose of the site, as they had no plans to open a new school there.