There are plans to reopen the Hymers Hessle Mount building in 2027
The 19th Century, Grade-II listed building has provided thousands of East Yorkshire children with their first experience of school life.(Image: Garness Jones Commercial)
An historic former school building in Hessle has been sold and is set to be reopened. The 19th Century, Grade-II Listed Hymers Hessle Mount has seen thousands of school children pass through its doors over the years.
Now the Jenny Brough Lane property, which was was built for wealthy Hull banker, James Keiro Watson before becoming a school in the late 1970s, has been acquired by SofiNo Education Group, which specialises in schooling for children with special educational needs. Last year, early years pupils and staff relocated to the main Hymers College campus in Hull before the building was put on the market.
Its main building includes multiple ground-floor and first-floor classrooms, assembly spaces, offices, and an external playground with dedicated early-years modular buildings also on site. The property sits on two acres of land.
Paul White, director of Hull-based Garness Jones which facilitated the deal, said the building had attracted “high-levels of interest and offers” after being placed on the market on a ‘best bid’ basis. That was achieved in a deal agreed with property specialists Jem Property, which helps organisations in the care and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) sectors to grow.
Mr White said: “Our role was to find a suitable buyer and agree a sale which represented the best financial outcome for Hymers College Charitable Trust. I’m delighted we were able to achieve this in the deal we agreed with Jem Property for their client, SofiNo Education Group.
“We expected high levels of interest when going to market as it is a wonderful Grade II listed building, in a great location, with potential for a wide range of alternative uses. There was interest from parties who wished to develop the land for private treaty luxury homes and private medical use, but these options would both have required change of use and full detailed planning, causing a delay in the transaction, and exposing our client to additional risk.
“The deal with Jem Property was clearly the best option, and, given its recent history of providing the first experience of school for many young children in this area, including myself. I was really pleased to be involved in seeing through a deal which will not only see the building given a new lease of life, but also retain a link to its history.”
James Morgan, managing director of Jem Property said SofiNo Education Group will open the facility in 2027. He added: “We’re currently active across a number of developments in Hull, including another site where we’ve worked alongside Garness Jones. They’ve been genuinely supportive of our client’s ambitions in the city.
“Every operator we work with is responding to real demand from local authorities, whether that’s special educational needs provision or assisted living. These are facilities communities need. This property was a strong fit for our client. It had the right use class and met Government size requirements for special education provision.
“But what makes this one particularly pleasing is that a former school is being repurposed to meet a genuine educational need, rather than being lost to the community entirely. At a time when school closures are all too common, it’s good to see a building like this given a new purpose.”
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