The Sill Discovery Centre
![The Sill building exterior at night, illuminated warmly from the inside](https://cdn.cundall.com/uploads/images/Projects/The-Sill/_large_image/63624/The-Sill-01.webp?v=1694551524)
Services (3)
Sectors
Location
Hexham, United Kingdom
Client
Northumberland National Park Authority
Architect
JDDK Ltd
The £14.8m project was granted planning permission in October 2014 and opened in July 2017. The Sill project is the UK’s first dedicated Landscape Discovery Centre. It is a hub for the local community and economy, hosting some 30,000 learning, participation and research activities throughout the year. This makes the centre a leading heritage education facility for landscape, conservation, countryside management, and leisure and tourism skills.
Given the sensitive environment in which the project sits – a UNESCO World Heritage Site featuring the Hadrian’s Wall corridor – a careful approach was needed to develop the right planning strategy, extensive public engagement and high levels of detail within the planning and EIA submission. Given its location within a Dark Sky Park, the lighting design work focused on meeting the requirements of the International Dark Sky Association. Several of these criteria required a reduction in obtrusive light, i.e., sky glow and a reduction in the visibility of the building at night.
Ian Cansfield, Director of Planning, commented, "This has been a fantastic project to be part of and we have relished the challenge of securing consent for this contemporary facility in a sensitive environment. Not only is this close to Hadrian’s Wall (part of the ‘Frontiers of the Roman Empire World Heritage Site’), part of the site is also designated as a Scheduled Ancient Monument and there are strict National Park planning rules to comply with."
![Ian Cansfield in a meeting room with glass window background wearing a blue suit and shirt](https://cdn.cundall.com/uploads/images/People/Newcastle/Ian-Cansfield/_contact_thumbnail/52668/Ian-Cansfield_2.webp?v=1694509573%2C0.5734%2C0.4158)
Cundall’s Planning and EIA team worked hard to get planning permission for the centre, along with the works carried out by our team of lighting specialists – a huge undertaking in itself.