LEGSREUNITED

The Long Eaton Grammar School (Reunited)

Kuldeep Bhardwaj (centre) giving a business lead by buying his former seat of learning, with Victor Ktori (left) and Eric Smith.

'No hoper' pupil shows he learned something with his business head.

BY ROBIN JOHNSON AND JAMES COXON.

WHEN Kuldeep Bhardwaj was a pupil at Long Eaton School, he was told by one of his teachers that he would not amount to anything. But more than 20 years later he has bought the school's former building and wants to use it to provide new business opportunities for the community. The building, in Tamworth Road, has been snapped up by Mr Bhardwaj, his business partner, Eric Smith, and his three brothers, Ross, Som and Binder, for £800,000. The partnership, who made their money in the motor trade, have had numerous approaches by businesses who want to use the building. Mr Bhardway, 40, who now lives in Holbrook, said: "A hotel chain, a religious group, an IT company and arts group have all approached us to use the building, but as of yet no final deal has been made. "I lived in Long Eaton for 30 years and I would like this building to be used by a group which would benefit from it." Long Eaton School found fame as the place where the father of Lord Richard and Sir David Attenborough once taught. Built in 1909, the Grade II-listed building served the community for nearly 100 years before the Government decided a new school should be built for £16.9m. The new building in Thoresby Road opened in March last year. Mr Bhardwaj said he found it quite amusing when he took a tour around the building after he bought it. He said: "I went in all the different classrooms and it was very nostalgic. It was funny because I remembered a certain teacher telling me I wouldn't amount to anything and now I own it." The business partnership has had success with a number of different projects, exploiting a niche for using period and character properties, such as schools, as development opportunities. Recent projects include the landmark, former alms houses at Canning Terrace, Canning Circus in Nottingham. Its sensitive restoration of the Terrace won praise from Nottingham Civic Society, gaining a Mark of the Month award. It also bought Hucknall Primary School and family centre at a Savills auction for £800,000. Victor Ktori, head of commercial agency at Savills in Nottingham, is marketing the former Long Eaton School building for the developers. He said: "This substantial period property is conveniently located and serves as an imposing landmark along the main road through Long Eaton. "The property has great character and offers a number of options for possible alternative use comprising up to 27,000 sq ft of floor space overall on a 1.28 acre site with 120 car parking spaces. "We have already had a number of inquiries for a wide range of possible uses."

Reproduced by kind permission of the Derby Evening Telegraph

www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk

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