Nearly 200 homes are set to be built on a former school site in Stoke-on-Trent – more than a decade after it closed.

Lovell Partnerships has submitted a planning application to build 193 houses on the former site of Edensor High School in Longton.

Edensor High School merged with Mitchell High School to form the Discovery Academy, which moved to Bentilee in 2013 – the Edensor Road site has remained vacant ever since. The proposed development will include a mix of one to four-bedroom properties, with vehicular access to the new estate via the former school's entrance on Edensor Road.

Lovell Partnerships says the development will be an 'attractive, locally distinctive scheme', which brings a sustainable brownfield site back into use. Stoke-on-Trent City Council has been planning to sell off Edensor High School site for housing for a number of years.

The development will include a mix of one to four-bedroom properties (Image via planning application).

The site, which was bulldozed following the closure of the school, had been considered as a potential location for the new Florence MacWilliams Academy, but a site in Meir was chosen instead. Council leaders recently agreed a strategy for replacing the disused sports pitches at Edensor and two other former school sites, to support the disposal of the land for housing.

Chris Robinson, who is both ward councillor for Longton and Meir Hay South and cabinet member for housing at the city council, welcomed the proposals for the site finally coming forward.

He said: "I'm glad this is coming to fruition now, as this has been a long-time coming. I went to this school myself, so I know how big that site is.

"These are homes that we really need, especially in this part of the city, and it will include affordable homes as well. This is also a site that's been affected by anti-social behaviour. So hopefully there won't be any hiccups with the planning process.

Edensor High School merged with Mitchell High School to form the Discovery Academy (Google).

"Ten years is a very long time for a site to be left vacant. If the plans had come forward five years ago we would already have people living there. But it's all about getting developers interested in these brownfield sites."

Lovell carried out a pre-application consultation on its proposals for the Edensor site last year, and says that feedback from the public has informed the plans.

The application states: "The development creates 193 new homes with a varied mix of house types, offering high quality and efficient accommodation for new residents.

The proposals will provide exceptional places to live with good access to local services and public transport. The site is in a convenient and accessible location, and the development encourages active travel, walking, cycling and the use of public transport, and promotes connectivity to and from the site by enhancing existing pedestrian links and creating new connections to the local context, benefiting the wider community."

The proposed scheme include green spaces and children's play areas. A total of 372 parking spaces and 49 garages are planned, and in addition to the access off Edensor Road there will be an emergency access point off Greendock Street.

Council planners are due to make a decision on the application by November 14.

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