A beautiful and tranquil spot by Berwick-upon-Tweed’s Town Walls is once again under threat from insensitive development.

The renovation of the old Grammar School and Community Centre at 5, Palace Street East is to be welcomed. But the new builds and destruction of two historic buildings – a WWI army hut and a rare 1908 Speirs classroom – will degrade Berwick’s heritage and wreck the vulnerable charm of this much-loved location.

The new application, made public in January 2025, changes little from the 2021 application except this is now purely a commercial venture, and the massive garage block has been changed into a residence with the same 6.4m height.

The two large new houses will introduce a jarring modern note that will destroy much of the pleasure of the area, impeding views from the Walls across Ness Street and towards the spire of the Town Hall. It has already been officially established from the previous application process that the area would be harmed.

We believe that a developer should not be able to degrade the conservation area, spoil the pleasure of many residents and visitors, and destroy rare, historic structures that ought to be protected by the main building’s Grade II* listing.

It’s more important than ever to preserve the amazing views from the Town Walls since development is encroaching on them to the north (particularly via the huge ‘pods’ on the new hospital's roof) and from the south (via several forthcoming large developments along the river).

Please sign our petition to send a message to the county’s decision-makers – and if you are a Northumberland resident, please also object on the planning portal as linked from our web site.

We will shortly be adding a short video on our web site at www.berwick-heritage.co.uk to present the facts and arguments.