The former Newcastle High School for Girls site on Eskdale Terrace will now get a new lease of life after development group Tolent was chosen to develop the site, despite 14 objections being raised by local residents.

The school site, which has lain dormant since December 2016, will become a five-storey luxury apartment scheme, targeting retired people over the age of 60, with 63 apartments as well as other amenities such as cafes, restaurants, and boutiques.

Construction is due to begin at Eskdale Terrace in May. Tolent expects on-site sales to begin as early as October 2019, with a deadline of July 2020 for moving in.

The project is being designed by Killingworth-based FaulknerBrowns in collaboration with PegasusLife. The Hampshire-based firm is known for its luxury accommodation targeting seniors and is currently developing 30 such sites all over the UK.

Newcastle City Council gave the green light to the project in March 2018, despite objections from the Jesmond Residents Association (JRA).

The JRA highlighted several objections that it had with the project, primarily its size. The objection letter argued that the height of the development should be reduced to keep the general character of the conservation area in which it sits.

The JRA also raised concerns about parking in the area, saying: “The car parking provision is less than one would ordinarily expect for a development of this size.”

In the application, the developers have not detailed the exact number of parking spaces available, raising concerns from the association. Other concerns included the external architecture, described as “overbearing”, “out of scale” and “out of character”. A total of 14 objections were raised by residents and the JRA.

Founded in 1983, Tolent is currently developing Hadrian’s Tower, a 26-storey luxury development that is due to be completed by the end of 2019.

In a press release, the company said: “We see a huge market for this type of development in the North East, and feel that we have the skills required to bring them to fruition.” With the project, Tolent will now have invested more than £100m in housing for older people.