Arrange a viewing

We are delighted to announce that our planning application for the Former Abbots Bromley Girls School has now been validated by East Staffs Planning Authority.

Nestled in the heart of the charming and highly sought-after village of Abbots Bromley, sits the disused former girls’ school. Our vision is to breathe new life into this significant piece of the village’s landscape, by renovating and converting existing school buildings into homes, as well as building new, energy efficient homes, in a traditional style.

Our housing mix includes for the following:

• 2 bed bungalows
• 1 & 2 bed over 55’s apartments
• 1 & 2 bed open market apartments
• 2, 3, 4 & 5 bed houses
• A new community store

Our proposed development aims to respect and preserve the legacy of the former girl’s school, meet the housing needs of this rural community, and enhance the beauty of Abbots Bromley for generations to come.

Our planning application is available to view via the East Staffordshire Borough Council’s planning portal, using the following reference numbers:

• Main Application - P/2023/00416
• Listed Building Consent - P/2023/00417

Comments can be submitted online through the ESBC planning portal, via email to dcsupport@eaststaffsbc.gov.uk, or you can write to: East Staffordshire Borough Council, P.O. Box 8045, Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, DE14 9JG.

GETTING IN TOUCH

Should you wish for further information, or have any questions on this proposed development, please contact us using the ‘Get in Touch’ area of our website. Here you will also find the option to sign up to our mailing list if you haven’t already done so.
 

CELEBRATION OF THE SCHOOL OF S. MARY & S. ANNE

Abbots Bromley Nostalgia Team & Friel Homes are pleased to invite you to join us to celebrate the history of the School of S. Mary and S. Anne.

Date: Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st May 2023
Time: From 10am to 5pm
Location: Former Girls School, please use the gate to the right of the chapel

Please note that unfortunately, for insurance purposes, we are unable to provide tours of the site as previously hoped. However, some areas will be open with a collection of photographs and memorabilia put together by the Nostalgia Team on display.

Refreshments will be provided for a donation to the Nostalgia Team.

This is a drop in event so there is no need to book a place, please just pop in when it suits you. However, we are asking for visitors who are driving to please park on-site to minimise disruption to our neighbours. Please pre-book your parking spaces by emailing info@friels.co.uk.

All are welcome to come along. We look forward to seeing you there.

 

PUBLIC MEETINGS

In October 2022 and February 2023, we held several public meetings at Abbots Bromley Village Hall to discuss our proposals for this site. 

Comments and concerns raised at our public meetings of October 2022, along with further consultation with both the Planning Officer and the Conservation Officer, resulted in changes to our proposals. These updated plans were shared with the local community at our meetings in February 2023 where we asked for further feedback ahead of submitting our formal planning application.

 

SITE ACQUIRED

Bill and Pat Friel have a personal connection to this site as two of their daughters attended the school where they made happy memories and life-long friends.

When Abbots Bromley School closed in 2019, we felt sadness along with many other former students, staff, parents and friends of the school. It is a great loss for future generations who will not experience the school’s traditions and unique atmosphere. When it became clear that the school was not going to reopen as an educational facility, we felt that we were well placed to ensure that this site, which is important to so many people, was developed in a sensitive way to preserve the school’s history and spirit as much as possible.

As a family-owned, Staffordshire based house builder, we focus on producing high quality developments which integrate seamlessly into the existing community. Many of our past schemes have been located within Conservation Areas and contain Listed Buildings. We prioritise the preservation of these historic sites by ensuring that our developments safeguard Listed Buildings for future generations, whilst respecting and taking inspiration from the local architecture. We plan to take this same approach whilst also acknowledging the past use as a well-respected and much-loved school.

Given the sensitivity of this site, it is vital to us that we continue to work closely with the whole community and consult with key Stakeholders. Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you would like further details on our consultation process or if you have any questions.

 

ONGOING WORKS

Please be advised that ongoing maintenance work will be carried out on this site prior to achieving planning permission for the proposed development. These works will aim to keep the site safe and secure and to prevent further degradation to the historic buildings. We will also carry out minor works as required for surveys needed as part of our planning submission, such as Ground Investigation.

There should not be any significant disruption but please do expect some construction traffic and noise due to the machines operating on site between the hours of 08:00 – 16:00, Monday to Friday.

We thank you for your patience and cooperation as we work to complete these works as quickly as possible. If you have any questions or concerns relating to these works, please do not hesitate to get in touch with our team using the contact details at the top of this webpage. 

 

Opening hours

Not applicable at present.