Newton Rigg student housing to become hotel

UK: Plans have been approved by Westmorland and Furness Council for Leo Sawrij Limited to convert four former student housing buildings at Newton Rigg College into a hotel and serviced apartments.

Newton Rigg College closed in June 2021. Three months later, the current owners acquired the site, with some of the buildings and campus now occupied by telecommunications contractor Viberoptix and its Training Academy.

A cluster of four existing buildings – Bessey, Bessey Annex, Herdman, and Capstick – last used for housing students at the former Newton Rigg College, have been granted approval for a change of use.

YAM Architects submitted the design and access statement. The following refurbished buildings would provide a total of 57 bedrooms:

• Bessey and Herdman – Conversion of existing two-storey buildings to provide 20 en-suite rooms each, including two ground floor wheelchair accessible rooms with dedicated main door access to the room.

• Bessey Annex – Conversion of a two-storey building to create four serviced apartments providing a mix of one and two-bed accommodation with private bathrooms and basic kitchen facilities. 

• Capstick – A single storey building converted into six serviced apartments providing a mix of one, two and three-bed accommodation, each with a private bathroom and basic kitchen facilities. 

The planning statement read: “The proposed hotel accommodation would add a new complementary use to the campus. It is intended that the accommodation will be flexible in use, capable of meeting the needs of a variety of users including business visitors, tourists, contractors working on future projects on the site, and the temporary workforce associated with the various infrastructure projects about to commence in the area – in fact anyone needing a place to stay in Penrith.

“The Viberoptix Academy at Newton Rigg would benefit from the proposed new accommodation, providing perfectly placed modern facilities for visiting trainers and apprentices, supporting the learning process.”

The council placed a number of restrictions on the plans, such as the accommodation must not be used as a permanent residence by any individual or group, as well as preventing overnight parking of any vehicle exceeding a gross combination mass over 3500kg.

Planning permission was approved on 8 August 2024.