Planning Granted For Restoration Of Historic Bushmills School

Planning approval has been formally granted for the ambitious refurbishment and extension of the former National School on Main Street, Bushmills — a decision welcomed locally as a significant step toward safeguarding the village’s heritage while expanding vital community services.

The school, built in 1846, originally housed boys on the ground floor and girls on the upper floor. Both classrooms will be preserved in their historic form, with modern requirements — including toilets, a lift, stair access, office space, storage and a training kitchen — incorporated within a newly approved two-storey extension to the rear of the building.

Permission also includes the lowering or removal of sections of boundary wall, allowing the site to open out and connect with Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council’s planned landscaped civic space. This future link is expected to create an attractive pedestrian route between the village car park and Main Street, with the old school forming a central feature.

The School is owned by The Bushmills Trust, a community charity established in 2000 and the application has been jointly supported by The Architectural Heritage Fund and the National lottery Heritage Fund. Currently, funding applications have been submitted to the National Lottery Heritage Fund, DAERA Village Catalyst Fund in conjunction with The AHF and the Causeway Coast & Gelns Borough Council Capital Fund.

The Trust has applied to the National Lottery Heritage Fund for around £1 million to help realise the redevelopment.

The approved design has been praised for its careful approach, preserving long views from Main Street and ensuring the building continues to contribute to the character of the conservation area.

A spokesperson for The Bushmills Trust said: “We’re delighted to see planning granted. This decision brings us a step closer to restoring a treasured landmark and creating a space that will serve the community for generations to come.”