A Georgian townhouse and Victorian school buildings on a plot of land in the Berwick Conservation area are set for a complete overhaul despite objections.
Berwick Youth Project are planning to create nine new flats as well as a new house and garage block on the site of the town's former Grammar School Palace Street East.
The proposals include the renovation and conversion of the former Georgian Townhouse and associated Victorian school buildings to "habitable accommodation", while two prefab outbuildings would be removed to build a new dwelling and garage block.
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The flats would consist of eight supported accommodation units and a caretakers flat, while the garage block would be operated by the youth project for "community use in line with the charity's objectives".
The buildings have been abandoned for some time and the site has fallen into neglect. The youth project hope to utilise it, but need the financial boost from developing the flats to afford the significant costs.
John Bell, manager of the youth project, said the site had been "infested with pigeons" and the youth project were "trying to salvage a desperate situation".
However, some neighbours were unhappy with the plans, and the council received 25 letters of objection. Speaking at the North Northumberland Local Area Committee meeting on Thursday, resident Eileen Conway outlined why people had objected.
She said: "I live on the street and I am speaking for the 97% of neighbours notified and for the very many other people who are uneasy about these plans. We look forward to the regeneration and reuse of the Berwick Grammar School, but we do have very strong concerns about overdevelopment on the site.
"The development would tower over neighbouring properties, blocking out light and affecting privacy."
However, Berwick Town Council did not object, and the application was recommended for approval by council officers.
Coun Trevor Thorne said: "I think this is the right decision to approve this. To preserve and conserve this fine building in Berwick, the Georgian old grammar school, we need a plan and as part of that plan there is some new building required as well.
"It has been neglected for a long long time, it's one of the nicest buildings in Berwick and it does need conserving and protecting."
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