Council looks to force repair of Woolsington Hall
Feb 15 2008 by Ben Guy, The Journal
SIR John Hall could today be ordered by his local council to pay for urgent repair work to a deteriorating stately home that he owns.
Woolsington Hall Estate is a registered historic park containing a number of Grade II-listed buildings and features.
But the estate has fallen into a state of such disrepair that Newcastle City Council is considering taking drastic action against multi-millionaire Sir John.
A report goes before a development control committee this morning, and the council will decide whether it should use powers to carry out the work itself – and then send the bill to Sir John.
The former Newcastle United owner told the authority last August that he intended to develop the hall as a boutique hotel and golf course, to be built and managed by the family.
But such is the hall’s state of disrepair that the council is considering carrying out the work itself.
The hall, which has been empty since the early 1990s, has been on the National Listed Buildings At Risk register since 2002.
English Heritage has classed it as “of immediate risk of further rapid deterioration or loss of fabric, with no solution agreed”.
It is currently the only building in the register for Newcastle listed as being at such risk.
An inspection was carried out at the hall last September and October.
That uncovered a catalogue of repairs that needed to be carried out.
These included damp and dry-rot problems in the hall and service wing, as well as a number of rotten timber window sills and door frames.
Work that is needed on the orangery includes structural repairs, repairs to the roof and work to make the building secure against vandalism.
The stable block also has a wall that is leaning to such an extent that the report says it “threatens the stability of at least the west wing, if not the entire building”.
Before the council decides on what action to take it has requested a schedule of works from Sir John by March, with a view to ensuring that the buildings are wind-secure and water-tight by the end of the summer.
Sir John was unavailable for comment last night.
