AN HISTORIC school house could find a new lease of life as a set of 15 apartments.

The Old School House in Lea Gate, Bradshaw, started life as a school for neighbouring St Maxentius Church in Bolton Road in the late 19th Century.

It became a pub, an aquarium and a restaurant at different points but has been derelict for many years and has been a target for flytippers and vandals.

Panda Capital Partners Ltd is looking to transform the abandoned building into family homes, conserving and enhancing the existing building.

Panda Capital wants to create a mix of one to three bedroom apartments on the site, complementing the existing structure with a modern extension.

The extension mirrors elements of the old building but materials have been chosen to make it distinct in appearance to avoid making it a "pastiche" of the school house said the architects Sixtwo.

Alterations would be made to the old building, lengthening windows and adding roof lights and balconies.

This is the latest in a string of development plans to be proposed for the site.

Different developments mooted include ones in 2007, 2012, 2015, 2016 and in 2017.

This latest plan is similar to Panda Capital's 2016 plan, which was granted permission by planners, except it is exclusively apartments and not townhouses.

A statement with Panda Capital's application says: "The scheme improves upon the principles of the approved scheme."