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Council tax payers could be left to foot a £100K demolition bill after plans for a new school collapsed. The remains of closed Coseley School are being razed by Dudley Council after becoming a magnet for vandalism and rough sleepers. Plans for redevelopment of the site, off Henne Drive, have been plagued with problems since the school closed in 2017. A new technology school on the site was due to open in September 2025 but the scheme was shelved after the collapse of construction company ISG. Read more: Send parents demand action on special needs during poignant protest Read more: 'Discriminative' home-to-school transport cuts to be discussed The site had been partially demolished and Dudley Council is now flattening the rest of the buildings after they were deemed vulnerable to anti-social behaviour. Phil Atkins, Dudley Cabinet member for development and regulation, approved the work; notes with his decision said: "We are currently providing 24-hour security to the site due to a high level of anti-social behaviour. "The costs to this are exceeding the value of the actual demolition and so a decision is needed urgently to complete a full demolition/removal from the site." The notes add site visits were undertaken to assess the extent of spoil remaining on site following the collapse of ISG and their withdrawal from the site. Inspectors on the site found evidence of rough sleeping, drug and alcohol misuse, arson, and vandalism and decided the council had to act to prevent further risks to residents and emergency services. While contractors were on site clearing rubble in mid-October they were instructed to continue with demolition of the remaining buildings. The prospect of a new school on the site seems to have gone for good following a decision by the Department of Education (DfE) to pull out of the scheme. The total cost of demolition and clearing the site is around £150,000, the DfE has agreed to pay £41,000 but who picks up the remaining £109,000 is unclear. The decision notes said: "The DfE were obliged under their contract to remove all spoil from the site. Want the latest headlines and breaking news emailed to your inbox? Sign up here, it’s free. "They have since declined to do so but have agreed to reimburse the council for the removal of all the demolition rubble left as a result of their work at a cost to themselves." Dudley Council is currently considering possible alternative uses for the land and sources within the authority say they are doing everything possible to avoid council tax payers having to cough up for the remainder of the demolition. Day in day out, our reporters in the BirminghamLive newsroom bring you stories from across the West Midlands. However, a hell of a lot happens here and it can be difficult to stay on top of it all. That is why we have a suite of newsletters, tailored to your needs. They include Birmingham Politics, Nostalgia, Court and Crime Updates and, of course, BirminghamLive Daily - the biggest stories of the day sent at morning, lunch and evening. There are also local ones like Black Country News, MySolihull and MySuttonColdfield. Choose which newsletters best suit you . You can also get all your favourite content from BirminghamLive on WhatsApp. Click here to sign up for breaking updates about the biggest stories in the region. If you prefer reading our stories on your phone, consider downloading the BirminghamLive app. You can get it from Apple here and for Android here . And finally, if there is a story you think our journalists should be looking into, we want to hear from you. Email us on newsdesk@birminghammail.co.uk .
