A derelict boarding school in North Devon is set to be transformed into a wellness retreat, complete with accommodation and a café. The community interest company spearheading the project has received approval from North Devon Council to refurbish the dilapidated buildings of the former Chelfham Mill School.
The school was shuttered almost 10 years ago due to safeguarding concerns and has since fallen into a state of disrepair. Nestled under the grade two listed Chelfham Viaduct between Barnstaple and Bratton Fleming, next to the River Yeo, the structures will undergo renovation and be connected via a corridor.
A section of the site has been granted permission for conversion into a café or bistro, a heritage centre, and a 19-bed accommodation facility or house of multiple occupation (HMO). The rest of the premises will house a wellbeing and learning centre, which does not require planning consent as it was formerly a school.
Growforward CIC plans to offer workshops, ‘therapeutic experiences’, and professional qualifications related to wellbeing. The company aims to inaugurate the bistro before Christmas and create 20 full-time jobs within the first year.
Funding for the project comes from various sources including personal savings, the sale of a family home, loans from the CIC’s own businesses, and a commercial mortgage lender. It is estimated that the site will need an investment of at least £3m, with over £1m already invested, reports Devon Live.
The company plans to secure additional funding through community funding bids, crowdfunding, and innovative partnerships with wellbeing and training organisations. The proposals received backing from Bratton Fleming Parish Council and Goodleigh Parish Council, while an initial objection from the Environment Agency regarding flood risks has been withdrawn.
The proposal garnered 66 letters of support and two objections. Supporters argued that the site, which has been in decline for a decade, needed repurposing and welcomed the potential job opportunities.
However, concerns were raised about the possibility of a house of multiple occupation and inadequate transport links. Planning officers noted that although a 19-bed HMO in this location would typically raise concerns, the applicant confirmed that the accommodation would be used by the founders, their team, volunteers, families, and guests.
They commended the use of natural materials like slate and render in restoring the buildings. Outline planning permission to demolish the school and construct 15 open market homes, along with flood defence works, was already granted.
The plans would not interfere with any future ambitions to reinstate the former Lynton and Barnstaple railway line over the viaduct. Cllr Malcolm Prowse (Ind, Bratton Fleming), lead member of economy, regeneration and planning, expressed his support for the new not-for-profit venture, saying it would revitalise the site and could potentially create much-needed jobs in the future.
The Growforward Project described the derelict school as “an eyesore” and a “magnet for vandalism and crime”, with associations to “historical stories of sadness”. An Ofsted report from 2015 revealed that the institution failed to provide adequate protection for its students, leading to a “decline in effectiveness”.
After a two-year inquiry, a member of staff was convicted of indecency against a boy at the school in the 1990s.