Border Pine Building, Aesica Road, Haltwhistle

Disused industrial building that has been utilised for a number of purposes over the years, including as a bakery and a factory. Last utilised for manufacture of furniture but now vacant. The empty premises comprise a workshop, retail showroom and accompanying office and storage space. There is opportunity for redevelopment through conversion, with the relatively high indicative yield reflect the setting and conversion to flats. Permission was secured for alteration and conversion to 14 apartments in 2015 (14/03065/FUL). Works commenced in 2017 which implemented the planning permission. However, no substantive progress was made on the residential aspect of the development, and there has been no further activity evident. The last update from the agent indicated that that whilst the landowner is still keen to progress, viability issues have caused development to stall and have inhibited successfully marketing. Permission will not lapse but these matters require resolution before development can commence. There has been no progress for several years and, as a result of uncertainty, the project is not currently considered achievable. Whilst the permission will not lapse, and the theoretical capacity from the extant planning permission remains, the future delivery of all outstanding units is currently discounted. If/when new information becomes available to suggest a change to this position, then deliverability can be appraised.