The college began life as a hotel in the 1930’s and more recently was run by the Finchale charity as a training college with accommodation facilities. The site consists of 8 buildings of varying construction type and age within a semi-rural setting. The East Coast Mainline forms the eastern boundary of the site.

The current scope of works includes site establishment and tree protection fencing; working closely with appointed ecologists to implement bat mitigation measures prior to demolition; the removal of notifiable and non-notifiable asbestos from the fabric of the buildings; the soft stripping of all loose debris and  internal fittings and fixtures; the demolition of the structures to ground level; the excavation of footings and foundations; and the processing of the arisings to create valuable aggregates for use within the future development.