AN abandoned care home is to be auctioned off more than three years after it was controversially closed.

Scissett Mount care home was one of six axed by Kirklees Council in 2007.

Residents from the Busker Lane facility were re-homed at the new Castle Grange home in Newsome or at other nearby facilities.

Since its closure the 39-bedroom property has been used by the police for dog handling training.

The ageing home, which sits in 1.5 acres of rural land, was shut down after councillors deemed it to be more cost effective to build a new one.

Denby Dale councillor Elaine Ward welcomed the decision to sell the property, but said she would be reminding people of the agreement that the site be used for a new care facility.

“We shall be watching any future planning applications very closely,” she said. “It was closed because it was inefficient to run, it wanted so many repairs doing to it.

“So they said they would build a new one rather than refurbishing it.”

Simon Riggall, from London-based auction house Lambert Smith Hampton, said his company had auctioned another former Huddersfield care home at Oakes.

The sale made more than £½m for Kirklees Council and Mr Riggall said he was confident the Scissett site would make more.

He said: “It’s very hard to value things these days, particularly for developing or change of use.

“The size of the market has shrunk enormously. Previously these sites would have been snapped up by the big housing developers.

“Now of course, residential developers have no money.

“It’s much harder these days to attract a buyer.”

A spokeswoman from Kirklees Council, said: “Before this property proceeds to auction a formal decision will need to be taken by Cabinet but finance raised from any potential sale would provide a significant capital receipt for the council for inclusion in its usual budget process.”

The December 1 auction at The Don Valley Stadium will feature more than 100 lots from 11 public sector vendors.

Mr Riggall said the rush of sales by public authorities reflected the worries ahead of the expected public sector spending cuts on October 20.

Other properties for sale at the auction include 50 lots from Sheffield City Council, a large industrial estate and a town hall from Barnsley council and a swimming pool, three care homes, and a depot from Rotherham council.