A New lease of life for Listed Building

11:04am Thursday 14th February 2013 in News

By Alexa Copeland, Reporter (Darlington)

A LISTED building in Middleton-St-George is to be revived after council planners approved plans to convert it into accommodation.

The 18th Century octagonal-plan dovecote, which stands on farmland in Low Middleton, will be turned into a one bedroomed home after Darlington Council’s planning committee were satisfied the plans were sympathetic to the building’s integrity.

The Grade II Listed Building had lain untouched for 30-years and planning officer David Coates told the committee that the redevelopment would secure its future.

He said: “It is sometimes tempting to say ‘this is a Listed Building, let’s leave it alone’, but when left alone they can deteriorate and this is an opportunity to bring it back to life.”

A previous planning application for the dovecote was withdrawn in February to enable a bat survey to be carried out and since its completion both the independent ecology and conservation officers are satisfied that building work can go ahead.

The redevelopment will see two new floors installed with an open plan kitchen and living room on the second floor and a bedroom and separate bathroom on the first.

An entrance hall, utility room and store room would occupy the ground floor and the different rooms would be created by stud partition walls.

An oak staircase would connect the levels.

External changes will include four new oak casement windows at first floor level and the existing bricked-up doorway would be enlarged and fitted with a new oak door.

A detached carport and storage building will be built 85metres to the north of the building.

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