Holiday retreat planned as tribute for Ali Johnson
Jul 31 2009 by Brian Daniel, The Journal
PLANS have been entered for a lasting tribute to late rugby player Ali Johnson.
Ali, who lived at Coanwood, in Northumberland, was left paralysed after being injured in a collapsed scrum while playing for Tynedale Rugby Club in 2004.
A specially-adapted bungalow was being built for Ali on his family’s farm at near Haltwhistle, but he died aged 28 before work was completed.
His family and the trustees of his estate pledged to finish work on the bungalow so that it can be turned into a holiday retreat for disabled people as a legacy to him.
Now, the family and trustees of Ali’s estate have lodged plans with Northumberland County Council for alterations to the bungalow to allow that vision to become a reality.
Almost £270,000 has been raised for the project by players, family and friends but the now defunct Tynedale Council refused an initial application.
Eventually amended plans were approved in November 2007.
Sadly, Ali died in December last year, before the development could be completed.
But a matter of months later, the family decided to finish the home and make it a holiday retreat for spinal injury victims, among others, with provision for wheelchairs and carers.
The new plans have been drawn up by Newcastle-based law firm Ward Hadaway – which designed the amended scheme for the bungalow free of charge.
The company’s head of chartered town planners Andrew Moss, who has again not charged for his services, said it was a pleasure and a privilege to help.
He added: “This application seeks to vary three conditions of the original planning consent in order to allow people who suffer from similar injuries to Ali the chance to get a very welcome break in the beautiful Tynedale countryside.
“If the application is approved it will mean a very fitting and lasting tribute to Ali can be built.”
Speaking to The Journal in February, Ali’s dad Ken Johnson said the holiday home would be a fitting use for the building, and a memorial to his son.
He added: “Ali died before he could get the benefit of the generosity of many hundreds of people across the country who had raised money on his behalf.
“We would like to think the people who donated money for Ali would approve of it being used to help other people with major disabilities.
“We are also sure that if Ali could not get the benefit of the bungalow himself, he would have approved of someone else in the same predicament as him being able to come here to enjoy it.”
