THE first part of plans to redevelop a former independent school site has been approved.
Developer D2M3 (Yorkshire) wants to turn the various buildings on site into six homes, as well as build eight new houses in the grounds of the former Rastrick Independent School in Brighouse.
The Ilkley firm bought the site last summer, after the school and day nursery’s owner, Rastrick Educational Services Limited, went into liquidation in 2019.
Two sets of plans were submitted last year, the first to demolish a link between a Grade II listed building and the rest of the school. This would allow the historic 1832 Castle Hill House to be refurbished and turned into a four-bedroom home.
Alongside a linked listed building consent application, this part of the plans has now been approved by Calderdale Council planners.
A second application for the site, to convert existing school buildings dating back to the early 1900s, into five homes and to build eight new ones, is still pending.
It would see the western wing of the school building being converted into three-storey terraced townhouses.
Other buildings on site would be demolished to make way for eight new three-storey detached houses. Materials from the demolition on site will be used for the detached houses and architectural features throughout the site.
A large area of greenspace would also be incorporated into scheme for residents to use.
In a design and access statement accompanying the plans it states: “Thousands of children will have enjoyed their education at this school so it is imperative to us that we do not erase this history from the site, while re-purposing the site to create much-needed housing for the area.
“Re-using part of the school for the townhouses, and salvaging stone details and other fabric elements for the new build properties will allow us to create a sensitive cohesive development that fits well within the existing context of the site.”
At the time of the sale, D2M3 director, Mark Robinson said: “The school presents a rare opportunity to deliver a signature development in the heart of Rastrick that reflects the history and heritage of the site.
“We look forward to working with Calderdale Council to create a mixture of renovated, converted and new build houses that combine modern building practices with traditional crafts to deliver warm and characterful homes.”
The school itself was founded more than 25 years ago catered to children up to the age of 16.
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