North East architect Building Design Northern (BDN) is expanding further into the North West after unveiling plans to move into a former police station in Cumbria.
The Sunderland based architectural, civil and structural engineering company plans to breathe new life into the former Ulverston Police Station and Courthouse after buying the former constabulary buildings amid plans to turn it into a brand-new multi use destination for the market town. The firm has submitted a planning application, with CGIs showing how the empty disused buildings could be turned into a mixed-use venue with commercial space, offices, serviced accommodation and new homes.
If the plans are approved, BDN – which first opened a base in the county in 2018 – will move its Cumbria office to the police station, with a communal kitchen, meeting room and desk space proposed for the expanding practice. BDN has recently embarked on North West growth plans, appointing two new local employees.
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BDN is driving the vision for Sheepfolds’ Stables, a £2m project which will see the Grade II listed building near Sunderland AFC’s Stadium of Light transformed into a mixed-use leisure venue with retail, food and drink and entertainment space. The Ulverston Police Station will be the third heritage building the company has taken on, following Sheepfolds’ Stables and the conversion of the Old Simpson Street School in Sunderland, which is now its North East head office. The £1m renovation project turned the 1800s, Grade II listed former Victorian school building into work space and eight luxury loft apartments.
The former Police Station will house commercial office space, with jail cells reimagined as boutique accommodation. The superintendent’s quarters which were demolished prior to BDN’s acquisition of the site, will house further serviced accommodation.
The Courthouse will have a new restaurant pavilion, with a surrounding courtyard of former garages converted into independent commercial space that is expected to attract retail businesses. Three one and two-bedroom dwellings are also detailed in plans, replacing former MOT garages, centred around a communal amenity space with a central green space.
The buildings fell out of use since they were vacated by the police in 2015, and despite being privately sold, have remained unoccupied since.
Managing director of BDN, Richard Marsden, said: “BDN’s ethos is to design stunning spaces to create incredible opportunities for those around us, making a mark on the North of England for generations to come. We are excited to embark on a new chapter, investing in our secondary base in Ulverston, breathing life into a building with deep heritage.”
Director of architecture and head of BDN’s Ulverston office, Joe Warner, said: “As a local business, we are proud to be playing a part in the transformation of a historic Ulverston landmark and investing back into the area we care deeply about. Our investment in the former Police Station demonstrates our commitment to deliver fantastic developments which will bring more people into the area, as our business establishes a larger base in Ulverston. We can’t wait to share more, if our plans to transform the buildings are granted approval.”
The plans are expected to go before Westmorland and Furness Council’s planning committee in summer 2023, and if permission is granted, work will quickly start on the redevelopment of the site.
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