Plan to demolish 1800s farmhouse over safety fears

The council wants to demolish the farmhouse to make way for more green space

A farmhouse that has stood for more than 200-years-old could be demolished as part of plans to deter anti-social behaviour.

Middlesbrough Council has applied to bring down the buildings at Lingfield Farm in Coulby Newham, Middlesbrough, to make way for green space land.

A council spokesman said the buildings were structurally unsafe, with the farmhouse lying empty for more than 20 years, prompting concerns of unauthorised access and antisocial behaviour.

The work may not go ahead if the site is marked as a heritage asset, as the buildings are considered to be a "rural survivor", according to the council's application for demolition.

The site also has a neighbouring barn and countryside centre, which could be demolished as part of the plans, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The farmhouse is believed to pre-date 1850, with the neighbouring barn previously used for storage.

The barn became unsafe in 2019 and the countryside centre, which was formerly used as an alternative teaching site, became vacant in May 2025.

'Unsafe'

Middlesbrough Council said the site is securely fenced, with panels installed to maintain a 10m exclusion zone around the unsafe buildings.

The planning application said precautionary measures should be taken during demolition due to nesting birds, and recommended the works should be carried outside the bird breeding season from March to August.

Demolition was needed due to the structural condition of the buildings and public safety concerns over unauthorised access and and antisocial behaviour, the council said.

The site would return to a "green space" after the demolition, they added.

A planning officer is now considering the demolition application.