Planning consent secured for cancer charity lodges in Henshaw

Tetra Tech has secured reserved matters planning consent to build three respite lodges in Henshaw for Jessica’s Sarcoma Awareness, a cancer charity dedicated to the memory of Jessica Robson. We are delighted to have led this effort with the support of Sadler Brown Architecture, MDesign, and construction consultant Henry Riley.

Jessica Robson tragically passed away at the age of 18 after battling with alveolar soft part sarcoma cancer for over 3 years. During that time, she founded the charity with the support of her family, who have since taken up the mantle of running the charity in her name.

Whilst fighting cancer, she and her family enjoyed time together in a similar accommodation in the Lake District, inspiring her to give other children and their families that same opportunity.

During her treatment, Jessica did not want to travel too far from the Newcastle RVI hospital in case she became poorly. The project site is located off the A69 within reaching distance of both the RVI and Carlisle hospitals.

The scheme includes a three-bed lodge designed by Saddler Brown Architecture and two smaller glamping pods to offer respite care for children and their families.

Our team has provided pro-bono planning, landscape, and ecological technical advice to secure planning permission. We continue to be involved with planning and coordination, along with a wider team of local businesses supporting the delivery of the detailed scheme to bring the charity’s vision to life.

Jessica’s mother, Julie Robson, said: “Tetra Tech have been unbelievably supportive to our family throughout this process and we could not have done this without their professionalism and caring approach with us.”

“Jess’s Dream would’ve been just Jess’s dream if we didn’t get the help and support from Tetra Tech, Sadler Brown, and other companies that have helped along the way.”

The next stage involves appointing a project manager, with the charity busy fundraising to enable to build to commence. The charity aims to start building work in time for Jessica’s birthday in April, with the aspiration to open the lodges to families in the summer.

Our Newcastle planning team hopes to continue supporting Jessica’s Sarcoma Awareness in their endeavour to bring comfort to families in local communities. For more information about Jessica’s charity, visit the charity website here.

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