Holiday cottage plan agreed for ‘Turner’ mill (From Darlington and Stockton Times)

Holiday cottage plan agreed for ‘Turner’ mill

12:44pm Friday 18th December 2009

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AN 18TH CENTURY building in a setting made famous by Turner is to be saved from ruin.

The old paper mill next to Egglestone Abbey, near Barnard Castle, will be converted into a holiday home.

A watercolour by J M W Turner shows mill activity on the bank of the Tees, overlooked by the hilltop abbey.

The mill, used for grinding corn and agricultural purposes before it fell into disrepair, featured in the BBC television programme House Detectives.

Durham County Council south and west Durham planning committee has approved a scheme that will see Abbey Mill restored and turned into a sixbedroom holiday cottage.

Planning officers had recommended refusal, maintaining the development would involve more rebuilding than restoration.

They said it was contrary to policies designed to protect the countryside from development and that unsympathetic overdevelopment of the site would fail to safeguard its historical character.

But the applicant’s agent, William Salvin, urged permission for the conversion which Mortham Estates has been working on since 2005.

In a presentation to the committee, he said: “The building has the feel of a romantic ruin but without intervention the structure will continue to deteriorate and will eventually collapse, requiring stabilisation works.

“The restoration of the mill will visually enhance the appearance of the immediate area.”

He argued it was difficult to evaluate how much of the building could be saved because it was so overgrown, but that even if it was more than the desired 50 per cent maximum, exceptions could be made to save the building without setting a precedent across the county.

Officers raised concerns about the impact on two neighbouring houses.

Mr Salvin conceded that reuse as a holiday home could cause an adverse impact on neighbours, but felt that reverting it to agricultural use would be worse and pointed out this would not need consent.

He said the development would provide employment and tourism benefits at a spectacular gateway location.

Councillors, most of whom had visited the site, agreed.

Coun Richard Bell, said: “It doesn’t take much of a leap of faith to see it could be restored.

It is a unique building, with a unique history in a unique setting.”

He said protecting this corner of Teesdale would support Durham’s bid to be UK City of Culture 2013, which was not just about the city but the rest of the county.

Coun John Shuttleworth added: “What I saw was an opportunity to bring an historic building back into modern use.”

Planning consent was approved, with conditions including measures to protect wildlife and to keep as much of the original materials as possible.

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