ANOTHER effort is being made to overcome the impasse blocking the redevelopment of an eyesore former school on the outskirts of a dale village.
Planning consultants working on behalf of housebuilder Kebbell Homes are drawing up revised proposals for part of the former St Peter’s School site, at Gainford.
Kebbell Homes owns land behind the dilapidated former school, which has become a magnet for arson attacks and anti-social behaviour in recent years.
What remains of the building, along a smaller portion of land, is owned by another developer – Ruttle Plant – and despite planning permission being granted for a joint housing scheme housing covering the whole site in 2019, the two companies have been unable to reach agreement to begin construction.
Kebbell Homes decided to go it alone last year, but the company’s plans for 39 homes on its land were rejected by Durham County Council planners, who ruled that the redevelopment of the school was critical to the area’s redevelopment. Despite this setback, ELG Planning, Kebbell’s consultants, say a revised scheme will be resubmitted to the county council in the next few weeks.
In a letter to Gainford Parish Council, ELG planner Louise Wood said the new-look scheme would include 37 homes, a mix of one-bed bungalows, a small two-storey apartment block and two, three and four bedroom houses, including affordable units.
While not resulting in the development of the whole St Peter’s site, she said it was hoped the revised scheme would trigger progress.
“As you will be aware, planning permission was granted in 2019 for the comprehensive redevelopment of this site and Kebbell had every intention for it to be implemented and brought forward promptly,” said Ms Wood.
“Kebbell Homes worked hard to agree a deal with the other landowner, however, despite their best endeavours these discussions have not borne fruit.
“By seeking planning consent for their part of the site, it is hoped this would encourage the other landowner either back to the negotiating table to agree a comprehensive approach or give them the necessary confidence to bring forward the development on their part of the site for which they already have standalone planning permission.”
She said the revised Kebbell Homes scheme had been drawn up in such a way that it would complement Ruttle’s existing proposals. However, Ruttle is awaiting the outcome of its application lodged last May to demolish what remains of the former school building after a building engineer’s report said the structure was in danger of collapse.
Members of Gainford Parish Council noted the letter at their latest meeting and said they would await the resubmission of Kebbell’s plans before looking at them in detail.
