Three Lane Ends, Castleford
- Client: Nine Points Property
- Services Provided:
- Planning Consultancy • Education
The Instruction
Alder King Planning Consultants were instructed to prepare and submit planning and listed building consent applications relating to the proposed conversion of the Three Lane Ends Business Centre back to a day school, the use it was originally constructed for. We were responsible for overall co-ordination of the two applications, including liaison with the project team.
Our Approach
Three Lane Ends Business Centre is a twentieth century listed building, so of national importance. It was designed in the late 1930s as an infants’ school. Three Lane Ends Infants’ School was Grade II listed in 1980. Following its closure, in 1996 it re-opened as Three Lane Ends Business Centre until being vacated in the early 2020s.
The acknowledged significant heritage interest of the building formed a key part of our planning strategy. Stakeholders such as Historic England and the Twentieth Century Society had a very keen interest in the future of the building.
We also had to ensure that the comments of immediate neighbours were addressed as far as possible, given the change in nature of use of the site (notwithstanding its historic education use).
Results
Full planning permission and listed building consent were secured for the conversion of this modern building back to education use.
The proposals will bring back into long term beneficial use, with associated employment opportunities, a longstanding vacant listed building which would otherwise be likely to remain unoccupied and its physical condition deteriorate further.
The new use will assist in meeting an identified and urgent need for specialist education facilities in this accessible location and will sit comfortably within the context of surrounding land uses.
