Former residential school on 11-acre site heads to our July auction

We have been instructed by Birmingham City Council to sell the former Skilts School estate, a substantial 11.17-acre site in a sought-after semi-rural location near Redditch, in our next auction on Thursday 9 July.

Located at Gorcott Hill, Beoley, the former educational campus is being offered with a guide price* of £1.4 million+ and presents a rare opportunity to acquire a significant property with potential for redevelopment or alternative uses, subject to planning permission.

The historic principal building dates back to the 19th century and was originally constructed as a country residence for Sir William Jaffray. In 1958, the property became Skilts Open Air School, later evolving into a special educational needs school before its services transferred to a new purpose-built academy in Birmingham in 2021.

Our chief executive, Gurpreet Bassi, said:

“Opportunities to acquire sites of this scale and character are increasingly rare.

“Skilts School offers a substantial former educational campus in an attractive semi-rural setting, with excellent connectivity to Redditch, Solihull, Birmingham and the wider motorway network.

“The site has the potential to appeal to a wide range of buyers, including developers, investors, education providers, care operators and those seeking alternative uses, subject to obtaining the necessary planning consents.”

The estate includes a range of buildings in addition to the principal house, including a detached bungalow, a former caretaker’s house, residential accommodation blocks and a gymnasium building.

The site also benefits from an additional 6.1-acre field, offering further scope and flexibility for future proposals.

Gurpreet Bassi added:

“Occupying an elevated position with attractive countryside views, this is a truly significant opportunity that we expect will generate strong interest from across the UK.

“Whether purchasers are looking at redevelopment, repurposing the existing buildings or creating a new scheme, the scale, location and versatility of the site make it one of the standout opportunities in our July auction.”

The former Skilts School estate will be among the lots appearing in our next auction, which starts at 8.30am on Thursday 9 July.

The auction will be live-streamed via our website, with remote bidding available by proxy, telephone or internet.

For more details and to register to bid visit
https://www.bondwolfe.com/auctions/properties/,
email auctions@bondwolfe.com or call 0121 312 1212.

*Each property is subject to a reserve price which may differ from the guide price. Please refer to the Important Information and legal pack(s) for further details and any additional fees which may apply.