PLANS to breath new life into a Grade II* listed building and build 26 new homes in Thornton have been given the green light.

The application, for a restoration project on Leaventhorpe Hall in Thornton Road, to convert a Grade II listed barn into apartments, and build 26 houses on the site had to be sent to the Government for a decision to be made.

Councillors sent the plans to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government following a committee meeting.

The hall has been deemed “at risk” by Historic England for almost 20 years, with some aspects of the hall dating back to the 1600s.

Now the application has been granted, work can begin to restore the hall to become two homes.

The vacant North Barn will be converted into four apartments, and the East Barn, which is currently in a state of disrepair, will be demolished and rebuilt to create another four houses.

Another 22 terraced, semi-detached and detached houses will also be built on surrounding land.

Historic England said it supported the plans “in principle”, and described Leaventhorpe Hall as a “remarkable manorial hall”, and said a lot of its internal features have survived, and said it hopes the plans create a “long term sustainable future for these significant buildings”.

Conservation officer Jon Ackroyd said the additional building of houses on the site was justified as “the development is regarded as providing a lifeline for the future of the Hall”.

The development will be comprised of four two-bedroom apartments, two three-bedroom apartments, one three-bedroom house, nine four-bedroom houses, and nine five-bedroom houses.

The proposal was met with some opposition, with planning officers receiving 11 objections to the plan for 30 homes at the site and two letters of support for the project.

Residents main concerns focused on an increase in traffic, the loss of green belt land and extra pressure on nearby schools and doctors’ surgeries, as well as worries about flood risks.

Dawn Crossley, of Thornton Road, said: “ This is green belt land, with ancient hedgerows and preserved trees.

“Also there are public footpaths across this land, which will be affected by this proposed build.”

Gerry Bailey, of Bosworth Close, responded: “The proposed plans take into account the refurbishment of the hall and the barn, and as such it could only be a good thing.”

Supporters of the scheme welcomed plans for a permanent use for Leaventhorpe Hall and the refurbishment of the buildings.

In approving the plans, planning officers implemented more than 20 conditions on the application, including that construction must begin in the next three years, and some orders on certain design features of the buildings.