The future of the historic Prudhoe Hall has been secured, with an agreement between The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) and Gentoo to develop the Hall and surrounding land to provide new family homes.
The agreement will ensure that much needed new homes will be built in Prudhoe and will also protect the listed building and stained glass windows designed by Daniel Cottier.
The surplus land and buildings were transferred to the HCA in 2011 when the Ferndene facility was opened by the Northumberland, Tyne & Wear NHS Foundation Trust as a modern replacement for the old buildings and the HCA has been working with partners to ensure the future of the hall and walled gardens.
David Curtis, Executive Director at the Homes and Communities Agency said: “This agreement is great news since it will not only ensure much needed new homes in the Tyne Valley but will also protect existing and create new jobs for local construction firms. The vision that Gentoo has will not only build on the success of their Humbles Wood development but also protect the historic and listed Prudhoe Hall.
"My team are continuing to work with different local organisations to ensure that the Walled Gardens can be safeguarded. entoo will now restart consultations with local residents about the best way to develop the site which adjoins their existing Humbles Wood development."
Ian Self Chair of Gentoo Homes said: “We are delighted to have been given the opportunity to develop the remainder of the land at Prudhoe and especially look forward to the restoration of Prudhoe Hall. At Gentoo, we believe a home is about more than just bricks and mortar, it’s about the lifestyle it provides. It’s what we call the ‘Art of Living’ and when planning all of our developments we look at what we can do to help improve it for our customers for the long term.
"Our Humbles Wood development has proven extremely popular and we are keen to repeat its success and bring further high quality housing to Prudhoe. We will involve local residents in our plans to ensure that we meet the needs of the community and we will be holding a number of public consultation events to make sure that all feedback is taken on board.”
The HCA is now working with local organisations to ensure the future of the Hall and Walled Gardens and it is hoped that they could become a valuable community asset.