AN HISTORIC hall could be converted into luxury apartments after a deal was struck with a consortium of North-East businessmen.

Windlestone Hall – the former family home of 1950s Prime Minister Sir Anthony Eden – was placed up for sale in November last year, along with its 25 acres of grounds, stables, courtyard, clock tower and cottages.

The land and some of its outbuildings have now been sold by owner William Davenport, while contracts have been exchanged for the hall, dependent on planning permission.

The lots combined were advertised for a total of £2.5m – more than ten times what was previously paid to previous owner Durham County Council – but the final outlay is expected to be well short of a million pounds.

About £120,000 has been paid for the land.

Project manager John Gibson, a former property lawyer from Gateshead, who has spoken exclusively to The Northern Echo, said developing the estate was an “exciting prospect”.

He said: “We can see some potential and we want to realise that potential.

“We are using one of the top architectural firms in the UK, Simpson and Brown, who will work very closely with English Heritage and Durham County Council.

“Any development will be entirely sympathetic and will be on an enabling basis which means that any development permitted in the grounds will only be sufficient to permit the restoration and reinstatement of the hall itself.

“No development will take place in the grounds without the hall being restored, we have accepted that from day one.”

Mr Gibson added: “The hall is 30,000 sq ft and it is almost inconceivable these days that it would be occupied as a single family dwelling.

“The beauty of Windlestone is its location, it is just off the A1 and the main apartment will have uninterrupted views south and west of the surrounding parkland.”

Asked to comment on the current state of the hall, a listed building, he said: “It’s pretty bad.

“There has been a lot of work done on the roof to make it watertight, but there is virtually no cosmetic work that has been carried out.

“It is going to cost an awful lot of money to put right.”

Mr Gibson refuted any suggestion that those in the consortium were looking to carve up the land to make a “fast buck”.

He said: “The return under permitted development is limited, typically 15 to 20 per cent.

“It will take a significant amount of time and there will be a lot of costs upfront with no guarantee of a return.

“You are not suddenly going to have 50 or 60 large houses here so I would like to think the local residents will be supportive particularly as we are going to preserve a fantastic building.”

One resident living near the hall said: “It has been difficult to engage with the Davenports and I suspect some people will be glad to see the back of them when they do leave.

“I hope the new owners retain the character of the place.”

An English Heritage spokeswoman said: “The Hall is one of the North-East’s most important historic buildings and we would work closely with any owner wishing to make changes to it.”