Chatham’s old St John Fisher School has been bought by an investor.

The disused secondary school on Maidstone Road sold for £1.65 million this year.

Even Chatham Limited, part of the Even Group investment firm, is the new owner.

Founded in 2001, Even Group describes itself as “cash purchasers” funded by a “consortium of high net worth individuals”.

Its recent projects include Somerfield Hospital in Maidstone, which it bought in 2020 and secured planning permission for 73 homes, before selling it to housing association Golding Homes.

The investor has not yet decided plans for the Chatham site.

A director at Even Group said: “I can’t confirm price and we have not decided which direction we are taking.

“I can confirm that we do intend to do something with the site which is likely to need planning approval.”

Estate agent Gerald Eve, who marketed the former school, said it had potential for redevelopment into residential, mixed use, care or retirement schemes.

The school went on the market for £2.5 million last June, including the main school building, subject blocks, a playground and playing fields.

The building was attended by Year 7 and 8 pupils, while Year 9 and above were based at the Ordnance Street site, now earmarked to become 139 homes.

Both sites closed because the Catholic school relocated to a newly-built campus on City Way, Rochester.

The historic school building, which is not listed, was initially built as a house in 1901.

It was designed by prolific Medway architect George Bond for his client Charles Bessent, a councillor on Chatham Borough Council.

In later years it became a convent, before it was turned into a school in 1964 and had several extensions built since then.