AEH Retirement Living plans to start demolition work this week on the site of the old Camden High School, 68km west of Sydney, which was vacated 16 years ago.

AEH plans to build the 54-unit Camden Central Lifestyle Estate on the site, which was built on top of an old gasworks and has been a major issue for the local community. The old school was shut down in 2001 after dangerous substances had been found on the grounds.

This will not be a problem for the new residents however.

AEH CEO Michael Rabey told the Wollondilly Advertiser that the site will undergo intensive remediation, with each building cleared by hand by a specialist team.

“Remediation will give residents some peace of mind because the school has been a bit of a cloud over the town centre for the past decade,” he said.

“We wouldn’t expect to find anything different at the site to what you would normally find at a former gasworks.”

Nearby residents and Camden Public School will also be kept informed about the demolition process.

Its past hasn’t turned off potential residents either – the first stage of 30 apartments has already sold out.