Proposals are unveiled for former school site

Northumberland Estates is proposing to turn the old Duke’s Middle School, which closed last summer, into residential accommodation.

The Estates wants to convert the main building into apartments, while specialist elderly accommodation and bungalows would be set within the existing school grounds.

The proposed development would retain a significant amount of the open green space, with public access encouraged and enhanced across the site through a series of pedestrian routes connecting the surrounding residential areas to the town centre and to Swansfield Park.

The Estates says that the development would preserve and enhance the site’s heritage value and ensure its long-term future.

Guy Munden, development planner for Northumberland Estates, which owns the Duke’s site, said: “The Duke’s School is a listed building and historically important to Alnwick, but in need of significant refurbishment.

“Securing an appropriate form of development on the site is critical to preserving the building for future generations, while also ensuring that it and the wider site has a real function for the town.

“The suggested proposals have been developed through detailed discussions with Northumberland County Council, with particular focus on ensuring that the heritage value of the Duke’s School is preserved and enhanced.

“A full planning application will be submitted this autumn, but in the meantime the Estates would welcome constructive feedback from local residents.

“By working closely with Northumberland County Council, Alnwick Town Council and Alnwick residents we aim to deliver a high-quality development that will enhance the Duke’s School building, preserve its heritage value and ensure its continued use for the long-term.”

The public exhibition will be held at the former Duke’s School on Thursday, August 9, from 3pm until 7pm. Access to the site will be via The Dunterns, Hope House Lane.

Further information will also be made available on the Estates’ website – www.northumberlandestates.co.uk