Hertfordshire County Council officials have drawn up plans to dispose of Hexton JMI School, which closed owing to falling pupil numbers in 2024.

The 70-place school had first been threatened with closure in 2021, but was handed a reprieve to give a chance to boost numbers.

Nevertheless, after numbers continued to fall, the school was finally closed in April 2024, with no pupils still on roll.

At a meeting of the county council's resources and performance cabinet panel on Wednesday (January 28), it was reported that the county council no longer needed the vacant site.

And councillors were asked to back plans for the disposal of the site, which would "generate a capital receipt to support the county council's financial position".

"This is a site that was formally a primary school, but was closed in 2024 due to very low pupil numbers – and has now remained vacant since then," said director of property Sass Pledger.

"There has been an extensive review with our service departments as to whether it could be put to another use.

"But there are no viable options for this site for alternative use –  mainly due to the location of the property in a small village, which is away from the main population centres.

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"Therefore, it is recommended that this property be disposed of and declared surplus."

Addressing the panel, Conservative Cllr David Barnard, a former governor at Hexton JMI, spoke in support of the plans to sell.

He referenced the decline in pupil numbers at the school and acknowledged the reprieve it had been given.

But with numbers having continued to fall – eventually going down to zero – he said that "quite rightfully it was closed".

He told the meeting that he had consulted residents of the village and that they agreed that the vacant building was now "falling into disarray".

And he suggested that "the best thing for it is to actually dispose of it and maybe put in two or three affordable homes".

Also commenting on the plans was the leader of the Conservative group, Cllr Richard Roberts, who had been leader of the county council when the decision to close the school was taken.

"I visited the Hexton school when it was in trouble," he said.

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"And we gave it a reprieve for one year, and it got into further trouble, and we closed it, with a heavy heart.

"I think it is appropriate that the development goes forward and to remove a dilapidated school from the village."

He suggested that village residents would influence any development that followed and that he would be in support of its disposal.

The proposal to dispose of the site was backed by the meeting of the cabinet panel.

But the ultimate decision will be taken by a future meeting of the council's cabinet.