Duke’s redevelopment tipped for go-ahead

Northumberland Estates’ conversion of the listed school in Alnwick is recommended for approval at committee next week.

Northumberland County Council’s planning committee will consider the project at its meeting on 23 October.

Lichfields is advising the prolific landowner and developer on planning, with ID Partnership on board as scheme architect.

Also on the project team are Glenkemp, Durham University Archaeological Services, All About Trees, GGS, DBS Environmental, Fairhurst, GHD, and BSG Ecology.

The proposal is for demolition of modern extensions and outbuildings, and the conversion of the grade two-listed school into 13 apartments – partly using a new extension over the demolished area – with 46 houses added to the grounds along with landscaped areas.

Six affordable homes are proposed, along with a new pedestrian access. The site in total extends to 11.7 acres. Aside from a row of mews houses, the new-build element will be set apart from the school redevelopment, with a large area of public open space in the middle, surrounded by walkways.

The Duke’s School building and former playing fields have lain vacant since the closure of the school in 2016, when the county moved from three-tier to two-tier education. The site is bound by Swansfield Park primary school and Swansfield Park to the east, residential properties on Hope House Lane to the west, further residential properties on Swansfield Park Road to the south, with the former Lindisfarne Middle School beyond and to the north.

Along with the school itself, there are several other listed buildings in the area such as Hope House and Kincraig. The Alnwick Conservation Area also meets the north-west boundary of the site.

The application documents can be viewed on NCC’s planning portal, with the reference 24/06328/FUL.