Planning permission has been granted to change a former school into a luxury hotel, retreat and spa and exclusive-use weddings and events venue.

Bowland Inns and Hotels has secured planning permission for the historic grade II listed building, on the outskirts of the Lune Valley village of Wennington.

The building was acquired from Lancashire County Council as the former Wennington Hall School, in Lancaster, which provided education for young people with social, economic, and mental health needs, after it closed in the summer of 2022.

Back in 2019, Lancashire County Council announced a public consultation on the future of the school after no private provider could be found before the government revoked its academy status.

And now permission has been granted and detailed plans for the conversion from large country house, to state school, to hotel and venue are well underway and the company hopes to begin work in the coming weeks.

Wennington Hall will operate under the James’ Places brand alongside the company’s established collection of country hotels, village inns and wedding and events venues.

James W, Chairman James’ Places said: “Wennington Hall will be a fabulous addition to our family of remarkable buildings and businesses.

“There is so much potential here, not just in the Hall itself but in the extensive collection of buildings once useful to the school but now in need of fresh ideas.

“It’s such a beautiful building in stunning gardens and grounds in an idyllic rural location, and yet it’s less than 20 minutes to Lancaster and the M6 Motorway.

“Crucially, it is also less than 40 minutes to Morecambe, home to the Eden Project North, the most significant tourism development for Lancashire and the wider North West region for years.”

The conversion of Wennington Hall from school to hotel will see an additional 37 bedrooms added to the company’s bedroom stock, taking the group total to over 160 rooms.

Bringing the currently redundant building back to life will see the creation of up to 60 full and part-time jobs upon completion.

The acquisition and redevelopment of Wennington Hall is a significant step for Bowland Inns and Hotels as it continues to expand and strengthen its position as the leader in the weddings and events sector.

Warren B, Commercial Director James’ Places said: “We have been fortunate to be the owners of the Royal Hotel in Kirkby Lonsdale for a number of years now, and we’ve been on the lookout for a wedding and events business to sit alongside for almost as long as we’ve owned it.

“Lancaster, the Lune Valley, and the South Lakes are an incredibly attractive proposition to us as a business because they are an incredibly attractive proposition for the customer too.

“We are certainly on the lookout for more opportunities in this area.”

If you have a story or something you would like to highlight in the community, please email me at chloe.wilson@newsquest.co.uk or DM me on Twitter @chloewjourno.