RENOVATIONS have been proposed to improve a rural heritage centre.

A planning application was submitted to Northumberland County Council to renovate and improve the Bellingham Heritage Centre at the village's Station Yard.

The Heritage Centre is described in the application's design and access statement as a 'detached public building with a shop, museum, kitchenette, male and female WC’s boiler room together with ancillary spaces at ground floor'.

The improvements will include renovating part of the building, installing artwork, new signage and minor external works. 

"The Heritage Centre and gift shop tells the stories of the people of the North Tyne and Rede Valleys. Their displays present the social, agricultural and industrial history of the area, along with information on the early Border Reivers," the design and access statement said.

Renovations will include removing the timber cladding on the building's northern elevation to provide a space for installing the art and signage.

The artwork installation will be made in collaboration with the artist Lucy May Schofield, initiated by NSPCC Bellingham with project partners Visual Arts in Rural Communities (VARC), North Tyne and Redesdale Community Partnership and Heritage Centre Bellingham.

The design statement said: "VARC was approached by NSPCC Bellingham with the idea to create a public artwork to celebrate Bellingham NSPCC’s 40th anniversary and to involve children and families in the creation of such an artwork.

"VARC is close to 25 years operating as an arts charity in rural Northumberland and wanted to create an artwork that will remain as part of its legacy. The Heritage Centre Bellingham turns 30 years old in 2024 and is an ideal place to situate the artwork given its theme of ‘people and place’, it is in a central location, and can also provide educational resources for children/visitors, inspired by the artwork."

The new signage will be placed on the same wall as the artwork and will be designed to complement it in style and form.

For more information, go to the council's planning portal and search reference number 24/03075/FUL.