Identity Consult are delighted to report that Dame Allan’s School was the the first planning application to be successfully determined via a ‘Virtual Committee’ by Newcastle City Council on Friday 15th May 2020. The Council provided the facility to watch the committee live stream via YouTube.
Within the present challenging climate, it was encouraging to learn that Newcastle City Council could create alternative measures to enable progression of the project. This meant that, despite the pandemic and severe disruption to ‘business as normal’, the planning application was determined within normal timescales, which is testament to the resilience and hard work of both the Council and the Delivery Team.
The project will provide refreshing and much needed additional space at the north end of Dame Allan’s School’s main site. Whilst incorporating a living wall elevation to the entrance, the scheme will provide a new Arts Centre, Science Labs, Sports facilities and general teaching spaces. Identity Consult are appointed at Project and Cost Managers on the scheme and have worked closely with the design team from project inception; the design team are led by architects Howarth Lichfield and supported by TGA Consulting Engineers and Fairhurst Engineers.
It is now anticipated that the construction phase of the project will commence on site in 2021.