THE grounds of an historic Darlington building could be developed into modern houses to fund its repairs.

Harewood Grove, which was built as eight large town houses in the mid-19th century, is owned by the Armstrong family and has since been converted into 16 flats.

The grade-II listed building has been served with notices by Darlington Borough Council ordering the owners to carry out structural repairs and install necessary fire safety measures.

Work is almost finished but the cost is expected to be more than £300,000, with more work costing £150,000 needed on the roof, gutters, decoration and parking area.

Plans have been submitted to Darlington Borough Council for permission to build two four bedroomed, detached houses, which will form a "gatehouse" development to the Harewood Grove flats.

The land is currently overgrown woodland with some protected trees.

But Kevin Boddy, of neighbouring Harewood Terrace, said: "This development seems to be such an intrusion into what was a lovely, historical building, and what the original builders wanted for the site.

"If there is to be conservation areas and grade two listed buildings should we not try to avoid these type of developments?"

Architect John Ellis, of the Anderson Ellis Parnership, said: "We did a similar development on the Woodlands site and that was designed to match Woodlands House. This will be sympathetic to its surroundings."

The two gatehouses would be two-storey, four bedroom houses, with a tower on the end of each, containing the lounge and main bedroom.

Darlington Council's planning committee will consider the planning application at a later date.

* See Echo Memories tomorrow for a history of Harewood Grove.