Project
Freyja, Close House
Charlie Allombert
On behalf of Charlie Allombert, Lichfields worked to secure planning permission and listed building consent for the development of a Michelin Star restaurant with associated residential accommodation and kitchen garden at Close House, Northumberland.
The site is located in the Northumberland Green Belt within the grounds of the Close House Golf Club, with the proposals seeking to create a one-of-a-kind, high end Michelin class restaurant, Freyja, run by highly acclaimed chef Alex Nietosvuori, with 12 associated guest accommodation rooms and kitchen garden to facilitate a farm to table dining experience. The restaurant has a standard capacity of 24 covers with a separate private dining room, offering private dining experiences, with all tables enjoying spectacular views of the Tyne Valley, and will provide employment for up to 30 staff.
The site is located within the Close House estate, replacing the former university biology field station and regenerates the walled garden to the east of Close House. The walled garden is a curtilage-listed structure associated with the Grade II* Listed Close House, and will be restored as a kitchen garden to facilitate the farm to table dining experience providing on site produce, measured in food meters rather than food miles.
Lichfields led Planning Project Management on the project and prepared and submitted the planning and listed building consent applications, including the Planning Statement, Green Belt Very Special Circumstances (‘VSC’) Case and Heritage Impact Assessment.
Being located within the Green Belt and the grounds of a Grade II* listed heritage asset, Green Belt and heritage impacts were significant factors in the acceptability of the scheme and needed careful consideration.
Lichfields were able to draw on our knowledge and experience to develop a strong VSC case and Heritage case which promoted the significant benefits of restoring the Grade II* Listed curtilage-listed walled garden to its former use, whilst creating an independent restaurant which would promote a highly beneficial symbiotic relationship with both the heritage assets and the Close House Golf Club.
Planning permission and the associated listed building consent were granted in July 2024, with the restaurant expected to be operational in 2025.
This was a complex and unique scheme to be involved in. Our USP was our local knowledge and dedicated heritage led planning approach to working through the VSC case alongside an exacting client seeking to deliver a bespoke concept in a unique location. Through careful liaison with the Council we were able to take officers through the journey and secure permissions through delegated powers.
Harvey Emms, Senior Director, Lichfields
Image credit: Elliot Architects