High Street Regeneration & Mixed-Use Conversion
Commercial Units with Holiday Let Apartments | Northumberland
This project involved the transformation of a run-down, structurally compromised high street property in the heart of a rural Northumberland market town.
Originally a tired building with two ground-floor commercial units and limited viable space above, the property suffered from water ingress, poor structure, and years of underinvestment. Its location was strong, but the building itself was actively holding this end of the high street back.
Our brief was clear: retain and strengthen the commercial offer at street level while unlocking high-quality residential accommodation above, creating a scheme that worked commercially, architecturally, and for the wider town..
Design-Led Regeneration
The completed development has visibly improved this end of the high street, a point echoed by neighbouring businesses who have seen increased footfall following completion.
At street level, the refreshed commercial units now support thriving local businesses. Above, the holiday let apartments provide a high-quality base for visitors to Northumberland, combining durability, comfort, and strong interior design.
The project has since been nominated for a property industry award, recognising both the quality of the conversion and its positive impact on the wider area.
Navigating Planning & Permitted Development
Using a carefully balanced combination of permitted development rights and targeted planning strategy, we were able to reconfigure the upper floors into five high-quality holiday let apartments, while maintaining two revitalised commercial units at ground level.
Our involvement covered the full process, including:
Early feasibility and strategy advice
Permitted development assessment and planning coordination
Architectural design and technical detailing
Construction drawings and build support
This approach allowed the scheme to move efficiently through the system while achieving a cohesive, well-considered final appearance that respected the character of the high street.
A Long-Term, Place-Focused Outcome
TThis scheme is a good example of how thoughtful architectural design, planning knowledge, and commercial awareness can unlock value not just for the client, but for the surrounding town.
By improving the building rather than over-extracting from it, the project delivers long-term benefits: sustainable income, stronger local businesses, and a revitalised stretch of high street that people want to spend time on.
Thinking About Converting a High Street or Commercial Building?
If you’re considering the conversion or reuse of a high street or commercial property in a rural market town, getting the planning strategy, permitted development position, and technical design right from the outset is critical.
At 81 North Architecture, we don’t just produce drawings. We lead commercial conversion projects from start to finish, using our in-house expertise to unlock underperforming buildings and guide schemes smoothly from feasibility through planning, technical design, and delivery.
For this Northumberland high street project, we handled everything from initial feasibility and permitted development analysis, through planning strategy and design development, to construction drawings, consultant coordination, and ongoing on-site support. The result was a tired, problematic building transformed into two revitalised commercial units with five high-quality holiday let apartments above, bringing new life back to this end of the high street.