Key Morpeth site is up for sale

An artist's impression of how the former police station in Morpeth could look if converted into homes.

The former police station on Castle Bank was sold seven years ago by Northumbria Police and it has stood empty since then.

This news comes hot on the heels of Northumberland County Council announcing last month that the building which houses the Riverside Leisure Centre in Newmarket is to be put up for sale soon.

It will no longer be required as a leisure centre when the new state-of-the-art centre and community hub for Morpeth opens on Gas House Lane in early 2023.

Developer Enviro Property Partners received planning permission in 2020 to create 32 luxury residential properties on the former police station site.

Neil Hart, group managing director at Bradley Hall – the firm marketing the opportunity, said: “This development offers an extremely rare opportunity to deliver high-quality houses and apartments within Morpeth town centre.

“The site benefits from planning permission for 32 dwellings in a mix of high quality houses and apartments.

“These homes could be ideally suited to the discerning family purchaser or downsizers looking to relocate to this prominent town centre location.”

The works that were approved by the county council involve the refurbishment and change of use of the former police building, garages and stables into six apartments and one house.

They also include the demolition of workshops, the rear police building and former police houses for the new build construction of 18 apartments and seven houses.

Documents lodged with the application highlighted the ‘effective reuse of a brownfield site’.

The development has been designed to retain the functional relationship between the police station and Morpeth Court House.

This was achieved by ensuring that no part of the development obstructs or interrupts the views between the two buildings.

However, any company or individual taking on the site would be able to submit an application for an alternative luxury scheme.

Last month, the council stressed that the local authority would only consider proposals for the Riverside Leisure Centre which would benefit Morpeth as a whole.

Rick O’Farrell, director of regeneration, said: “It is not a case of us selling to the highest bidder. This is an important site and any development on it must impact positively on the town.”