Kepier Hall: listed building renovation approved to protect cherished Houghton landmark

Sunderland City Council’s planning department has approved an application for Kepier Hall, off Church Street, in Houghton-le-Spring.

The building is Grade II*-listed and according to its Historic England listing, parts of the building date back to the 16th century, with the site originally known as, and subsequently listed as, “Kepier Grammar School”.

The listing adds the building, which sits near the St Michael and All Angels Church, has since been used as parish rooms and flats and has remained listed due to its “special architectural and historic interest.”

Earlier this year (2025), plans were submitted for Kepier Hall seeking listed building consent for works to windows at the site.

A planning application form submitted to the council in April, 2025, said development works started on the listed Kepier Hall building in late-2024 but had not been completed.

Council planning documents summarised part of the works as “renovation and upgrading of decayed, non-historic sliding sash windows, incorporating draught sealing and improvements to materials and functionality”.

The scheme included the “installation of white finish aluminium framed secondary glazing to select windows to reduce noise ingress while respecting the building’s external appearance”.

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In addition, works included the “replacement of non-historic, decayed windows and some decayed sashes with new sliding sashes constructed using high-quality materials and incorporating slim, heritage-style sealed insulating glass units to improve energy efficiency and durability.”

A design and access statement submitted with the planning application said the works would ensure Kepier Hall “remains a valuable and cherished asset to the local community for generations to come.”

Sunderland City Council’s conservation department noted the listed building was “highly significant” and had been “extended in the 1980s to provide a community hall to the rear” which has been “used for community uses and managed by the Kepier Trust for many years now”.

It was noted that “whilst the property has retained a small number of historic timber sliding-sashes windows in the oldest 16-18th Century parts of the building, the majority of its historic sash windows have been replaced with poor quality replicas, many as part of 2008 restoration works”.

The council’s conservation team said “most sash windows are now in poor condition exhibiting various degrees of decay” and that the “building is in need of a comprehensive window repair and restoration” for conservation reasons and to “improve the energy efficiency of the property to sustain its community usage into the future”.

It was noted that the final proposals for “window repairs, renovations, replacements and secondary glazing” were the result of “detailed and lengthy pre-application discussions” between the council and applicant.

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Council conservation experts said the scheme “demonstrated good conservation practice and a sympathetic, well- informed approach to achieving a suitable balance between conservation objections and energy and carbon efficiency improvements”.

This included “retaining historic windows that contribute to significancetogether with carefully considered improvements and rationalisation”, which would “overall have a positive impact on the character and significance of the listed building.”

After considering the application for listed building consent, Sunderland City Council’s planning department approved it on May 21, 2025.

A council decision report said the proposed works were “practical, yet sensitive and sympathetic interventions which will conserve, enhance and aid future conservation of the listed asset”, as well as “enabling continued optimum viable use without compromise to the overall special architectural and historic interest of the listed building.”

Planning documents noted the building has its origins in the Free Grammar School of Kepier, “founded in 1574 by Bernard Gilpin, the ‘Apostle of the North’ (who was rector at Houghton from 1558-1583) and John Heath of Kepier (near Durham) from which the school took its name”.

It was noted that the building had been “enlarged over the centuries” and was last used for its school purpose in the early 1920s before becoming a church hall, and that the last “major refurbishment” took place more than three decades ago.

Planning documents confirm that the ground floor of the building is currently “used by community groups, for private functions and office accommodation, and the first floor is separated into two self-contained flats and office accommodation”.

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The listed building consent application relates to “all of the windows” at Kepier Hall, planning documents confirm, with the proposed works aiming to “renovate the existing windows, retain as much original fabric as possible, and where required, replace the existing decayed wood window frames with new wood window frames”.

Applicants previously stressed that the “majority of the existing window frames are non- historic windows and are in extremely poor condition” and that “proposed renovations, repairs, replacements and upgrades reflect a commitment to improving both the aesthetic and functional qualities of the property”.

It was noted that construction works access will be “carefully considered” to minimise disruption and that works will follow “best practices to ensure the safety of the site and its users”.

Those behind the scheme added that the proposed works “represent a thoughtful and sensitive approach to improving the functionality, energy efficiency, and longevity of Kepier Hall while preserving its historical character”.

The design and access statement adds: “Kepier Hall contributes to the historic character of Houghton-le-Spring.

“The proposed works will improve the property’s appearance and functionality, reinforcing its role as an asset to the local area [and] will make the space more pleasant and practical for current and future occupants without impacting physical accessibility.”

For more information on the plan, or council decision, visit Sunderland City Council’s planning portal website and search reference: 25/00721/LBC