Strip out work could start by the end of the year for the £8 million housing conversion of Monifieth’s Invertay House.
Once the base for council tax collection in Angus, the Victorian building was declared surplus to requirements by the local authority in 2015.
It was previously a potential site for a multi-million pound Monifieth community hub.
In January, councillors agreed a £370,000 deal for the appropriation of the Maule Street site to the authority’s housing revenue account to develop new affordable housing.
It is part of the area’s five-year strategic housing investment plan.
Features to be retained
The council’s housing service aims to keep as many features of the late Victorian era as possible that are worthwhile retaining.
A spokesperson said: “As we want to enhance these features and retain them in the new design where possible, we intend to carry out a soft strip-out and survey exercise of the main buildings prior to any planning application being finalised.
“This will include removal of some of the incongruous low-quality extensions that have been added in the last 50 years.
“This will allow the true building form to stand out and enable us to develop a sympathetic conversion.”
Around 35 new homes could be created in the project.
It could see 18-20 new council houses for rent and 16 affordable houses for sale built.
Site set up for the soft strip-out is likely to be in December.
Angus communities convener Mark Salmond said: “The sympathetic regeneration of Invertay House will be an asset to the local community.
“This initiative is intended to provide some much-needed new council housing stock in Monifieth and will also explore whether low-cost home ownership can be part of the mix of new housing.”
Community engagement is due to take place ahead of a planning application being submitted in 2022.
Construction should get underway the following year.
Men’s Shed move
A community asset transfer of part of the site to Carnoustie and Monifieth Men’s Shed was also previously explored.
The group has a month-to-month lease on the old machine room at Invertay.
They were told they would have to move out to allow the housing plan to progress.
The Men’s Shed has secured a new home with a 25-year lease deal for the former Panmure Centre in Carnoustie.
Angus councillors agreed the community asset transfer earlier this month.
The Men’s Shed now plans to lead the formation of a community trust to run the 157-year old centre.
History
Invertay House was built in 1878 and opened as Monifieth Public School.
In 1928 the Seaview School annexe was established to accommodate the increased numbers of pupils within the local area.
Monifieth Public School offered education for primary and secondary pupils until 1966 when government education policy decreed it could only be used for primary education.
It was at that time named Invertay Primary School.
The school bell rang for the last time in the summer of 1985.
Tayside Regional Council closed Invertay in a move which enraged the local community.
One parent even took the council to court over the closure plan.
The B-listed building was used as a tax office for years.
After being declared surplus to requirements by the single-tier Angus Council, it was the target for a Monifieth Community Resource Group community hub plan.
Community asset transfer hopes fell apart when the group was turned down for a £1 million lottery grant to kickstart the project.
MCRG now plan to create the hub beside the seafront Blue Seaway play area.