A residential home situated within a former convent has applied for planning permission to build an extension for a staff canteen.

St Williams Residential Home, in Cornwall Avenue, Darlington, on the site of former convent Cygnet St. Williams, next to the Grade II listed St Williams RC Church, has plans to erect a detached building to south of the property.

The former convent which now houses Cygnet St. Williams is of mid – 20th Century construction and its contribution to the key significance of the church is relatively modest.

It has some historic links with the church, which have been eroded to some extent through changes to the building, however, some of these intrinsic historic links still exist due to the past associations.

The small parcel of land which is proposed to be used for the outbuilding does not readily contribute to the significance of the setting.

The proposal is for a small staff canteen to help preserve the staff presence on site.

It has been designed to be domestic in size, scale and style, and therefore sit comfortably within the urban landscape.