School to be knocked down for housing development

A former school which has been closed for years is due to be knocked down to make way for homes.

St Mary's Church of England Middle School in Belford, Northumberland shut in 2018 and will be replaced by 23 homes.

Developer Garry Herron said he was committed to retaining the 45 memorial trees planted on the site, as he understood they had "a real importance to former pupils, staff and families".

Northumberland County Council's North area planning committee unanimously approved the scheme at a meeting on Thursday.

Speaking at the meeting, Herron said: "We have worked with the diocese to understand the significance and retain [the trees] in the current development."

He added he wanted to bring the site back into use, while respecting its history.

Plans show the houses would be a mix of two and three-bedroom homes, including two bungalows.

The scheme falls below the threshold for providing affordable housing, but the developer will make a contribution of about £39,000 towards open spaces in the village and £16,500 to local healthcare services, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Belford's ward councillor and cabinet member for education Guy Renner-Thompson said there were a number of sites in the area "blighting the village" and it was good to see this one being brought back into use.

He said: "It is always sad to see a school knocked down, but this one has been closed for quite some time and the playing fields are being transferred to the community."

Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram and listen to Radio Newcastle on BBC Sounds.