Newby Wiske Hall: PGL ordered to stop disturbing villagers

PGL is converting the former North Yorkshire Police HQ at Newby Wiske Hall into an activity centre

A children's holiday firm has been found to have breached planning conditions while converting the former headquarters of North Yorkshire Police.

PGL was found to have allowed work on the Grade II-listed Newby Wiske Hall, near Northallerton, to continue beyond the allotted 56 hours a week, causing a disturbance to villagers.

The firm is converting the hall into an adventure centre for school children.

PGL said it was doing all it could to minimise disruption as work continues.

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In response to the enforcement notice - issued by Hambleton District Council - the company has lodged an application to extend its working hours beyond the limit, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Some residents are opposing the application, which would extend the working day by 90 minutes.

David Smith, one of the objectors, said limits had been set to protect residents from excessive traffic entering the site and noise disturbance.

He added: "To allow this application would legitimise their (PGL) rule-breaking and be detrimental to the villagers of Newby Wiske."

Another resident, who did not want to be named, said: "It's the middle of summer and all you can hear is the beep, beep of vehicles reversing."

Newby Wiske Hall

The Grade II-listed, former manor house was built in 1684 by Northumbrian landowner William Reveley.

Reveley and his wife lived in the hall until his death in 1725.

Ownership of the hall changed hands several times before it was acquired by the Home Office in 1949 for £13,000.

It was then reconstructed and opened as a district police training centre in 1954.

According to North Yorkshire Police, during the late 1950s the original grounds were transformed into playing fields, with Northallerton Prison providing the labour.

The hall, along with its grounds, were transferred to North Yorkshire Police in 1976 as the new force headquarters. Police staff took up occupancy on 26 September 1977.

In early 2017, it sold the building to PGL.

The force then moved to its new headquarters, Alverton Court, in Northallerton town centre.

A PGL spokesman said it was complying with the notice.

He added: "The link between our sites and their local communities is vitally important to us. At PGL, we work hard to ensure our sites are an economic and cultural asset to their surrounding communities."

The spokesman added that the company was working closely with residents and the local authority to "minimise disruption during this exciting renovation".

The centre, comprising classrooms, sports facilities and accommodation for primary school children and staff, is expected to open in the spring.