FORMER schools and farmland belonging to Powys council worth more than £3 million are being transferred to its housing service so new council houses can be built on them.

The Independent/Conservative cabinet agreed to the transfer of nine plots of land, valued at £3,745,000, at its meeting this week. They had been held by the council’s property department but the land can now be used towards the administration’s goal of building 250 council houses by 2023.

Among the sites to be transferred are the former Bronllys Primary School, which closed ahead of the opening of a new school in Talgarth two years ago, and Upper House Farm in Crickhowell.

Council leader Rosemarie Harris said she normally wouldn’t want to lose part of the authority’s farm estate though the sites identified have been deemed as surplus.

The Independent councillor for Llangynidr said: "I’m not normally keen to give any of the farms estate land away, but if it’s for affordable housing for our residents then I am happy to support it and get on and develop them.

“This is very much part of the vision that we came into council with.

“We want to develop housing and we are lucky that we have these sites in our ownership.”

Cllr Harris said that some sites that are part of the council’s farms estate had been identified as potential sites for houses by the previous administration.

Cllr Phyl Davies, the Conservative member for Blaen Hafren, who is responsible for property, said: "There has been much discussion over the last two years, and this will enable us to start the building process."

Gwernyfed councillor James Evans, the Conservative responsible for housing, said: "I’m very supportive of this it’s a cornerstone of our vision to build houses for our people.

“If we get houses built we are delivering on the vision that we promised to our residents.”

Head of legal services Clive Pinney confirmed that the transfer value had been independently assessed by the District Valuer.

The sites will be transferred by March 31 and some of the plots already have planning permission for homes, granted on them.

The sites are:

Llandrindod Wells – land behind  Arlais Day Centre by the Library – £130,000

Sarn, land by the Village Hall – £70,000

Llandrinio, land behind Orchard Croft – £340,000

Churchstoke, land at Fir House – £500,000

The former Bronllys School – £140,000

Talgarth, former school and community centre –  £280,000

Crickhowell, Upper House Farm -£2 million

The former Llanigon School – £150,000

 Robert Owen House, Newtown – £135,000