BDN set to transform former police station

A Sunderland property developer is expanding its leisure and regeneration portfolio into Cumbria with plans to transform a former police station into a mixed-use hospitality destination.

Building Design [Northern] (BDN), the company behind the hugely popular Sheepfolds Stables in Sunderland, has started work on a £3.5 million redevelopment project in Ulverston.

The scheme will see the town’s historic former police station, dating back to 1881, converted into a combination of office space, boutique accommodation, food and drink venues and independent retail units.

The Neville Street building has stood empty for more than a decade, but BDN plans to restore and repurpose the site across two phases.

Former jail cells within the building will be transformed into short-stay accommodation, while the old courthouse will house a restaurant pavilion alongside a courtyard featuring converted garage units aimed at attracting independent businesses.

BDN’s North West team will also relocate into the building from Ulverston Business Centre, with the new office designed to support further business growth.

Richard Marsden, managing director of BDN, which is headquartered in the Grade II-listed Old Simpson Street School, in Sunderland, said: “We’re really proud to start work on a sister site for Sheepfolds Stables in Ulverston, where BDN also has a second office. 

“While this will be a quieter, more laid-back version of our Sheepfolds Stables site, and on a smaller scale, we hope it will have just as much impact locally.  

“Our North West team live and breathe Ulverston.  

“It’s brilliant to be able to move ahead with a development that will boost their town centre in the same way that I have been able to bring something new and exciting to my home city of Sunderland, with Sheepfolds Stables.”

Founded in 1983, BDN provides architectural, structural and civil engineering services nationwide and has become increasingly involved in regeneration-led development projects.

The first phase of the Ulverston scheme, including nine luxury apartments and the new office space, is expected to take between 12 and 18 months to complete.

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