Former Northumberland middle school to be demolished for housing but memorial trees will be saved

NewsNorth East NewsNorthumberlandThe school closed in 201800:14, 21 Aug 2026The former middle school in Belford, which is set to be demolished.(Image: Google Streetview)A former Northumberland middle school which closed almost a decade ago is set to be demolished to make way for a new housing development. St Mary's Church of England Middle School in Belford, which closed in 2018 and has been vacant since 2023, will be replaced by 23 new homes.‌The houses will be a mix of two and three bedroom homes including two bungalows. The scheme falls below the threshold for providing affordable housing, but the developer will make a contribution of almost £39,000 towards open spaces in the village and £16,500 to local healthcare services.‌Locally, there was concern for the future of 45 memorial trees