Bury Council is to sell off 20 of its land and building assets in a bid to raise £8 million.
The authority says the sites are seen as ‘surplus to requirements’ while some have been earmarked for housing developments.
The sites set to be disposed of include the 7.2 acre New Summerseat House, a former pupil learning centre in Summerseat Lane.
The former Whitefield Library, which closed in December 2017 but is currently being used as a coronavirus testing centre, is also to be sold along with land at Peel Brow, in Ramsbottom.
Other sites include the former Radcliffe High School site in School Street, Radcliffe, and the old Bury fire station on The Rock.
A former playing field in Wellington Road, Bury, is also set to be auctioned off as is the site of the old day centre at Wheatfields, in Victoria Avenue, Whitefield.
Land in Fir Street, Ramsbottom, Water Street, Radcliffe, 8, 10 and 12 Tithebarn Street, Bury, are also due to be flogged off.
The council said the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) is providing brownfield land grants on several of the sites identified for housing development and that will assist with potential disposal options.
A report to the council’s cabinet said that other reasons for the sales were reduction in cost base and reducing the council’s exposure to health and safety risks associated with holding vacant property.
In the report, Paul Lakin, director of regeneration and capital growth at Bury council, said: “The total pipeline of sites indicates that around £8m in capital receipts can be generated from which £600,000 is likely to be needed to drive forward the programme primarily through the appointment of a programme manager, property agent and property lawyer.”
He added that disposal of the land and buildings would be done through various methods.
He said: “Disposal of the property assets will be through land transaction, auction, marketed through an agent and community asset transfer.
“There will be a variety of property assets disposed of and it is important that there is a range of available disposal options, as not all property assets will benefit from being disposed of in the same way.”
The cabinet granted approval for the disposal of the property assets that were deemed surplus to requirements.
