PLANS have been submitted to demolish a “dangerous” 19th-century school and replace it with eight new homes.

Tim Horton Ltd, based in Guiseley, has applied to tear down the grade II-listed St Andrew’s School off Listerhills Road, which was acquired via auction in 2011.

The building was last used as a council-owned Interfaith Education Centre, but was vacated after suffering extensive fire damage in 2009.

A design statement supporting the plans claims a marketing assessment of the property has found bringing the building back into use in its current form would exceed its end market value by more than £1 million.

It states that when the developer purchased the property they “did not fully appreciate the scale of the challenge they were taking on.”

It reads: “It has not been possible to find a new owner that would be able to bring the building back into viable use. Any new owner would need to be eligible and have the capability to successfully apply for grant funding or be able to withstand a considerable financial loss.”

The report states that in 2012, a structural inspection of the building revealed it was in a “very poor, deteriorating, and dangerous” condition, recommending demolition “before the building collapses.”

Outlining the benefits of demolishing the building, the statement claims the project would result in: “The removal of a dangerous structure that directly abuts a public highway and is a danger to the public, in particular pedestrians using the footway, a reduction in opportunities for crime and anti-social behaviour including drug and alcohol abuse and fly tipping, and the delivery of eight new dwellings on a brownfield site.

“In the applicant’s view there is no reasonable prospect of saving the building, and its demolition will result in a number of clear and significant benefits, the most pressing of which is the urgent need to remove a building that endangers the public. The proposal for demolition of the listed building is submitted with regret and as a last resort.”

Bradford Council is set to make a decision on the plans by September 1.