The Toronto-based firm is famous for its range of elaborate doughnuts, pancakes and desserts, as well as sweet drinks, coffees, sandwiches and burgers. The company has submitted plans to Sunderland City Council to set up shop at the Frankie and Benny’s unit in the Galleries Retail Park. Features included in the proposals are for ‘picnic-style’ outdoor seating, accessible parking spots, a double billboard, new bicycle racks accommodating eight cycles and pavement improvements. The plans would see external changes to the building and landscaping to transform the site, alongside a new drive-thru lane for customers. Tim Hortons operates and franchises thousands of restaurants worldwide, including a number of branches across the UK. According to the fast food chain’s website, locations in England include Manchester, Leicester, Birmingham, Warrington and Bury. However, the firm is continuing to expand with planning permission recently granted for a new site in Milton Keynes. The Washington site would be its first branch in the North East. The planning application reads: “The site is currently operating as a Frankie and Benny’s and the development proposals comprise works to facilitate re-occupation of [the] unit including external alterations, reconfiguration of [the] site to accommodate a drive-thru lane, amendments to landscaping and associated works including advertisements. “As part of the proposals, the existing parking provision will be rearranged to facilitate the drive-thru facility on the southern and western side of the building, increasing capacity by three spaces, from the current 52 to 55. “The site is located within Galleries Retail Park and is adjacent to the Galleries Shopping Centre which combined have more than 2,500 free customer spaces. “Due to its location, the site is highly sustainable by public transport, with access to 13 bus services within 200m.” The application is supported by a transport statement which notes the site’s “highly sustainable location” and access to bus services. A decision on the proposals is expected by the end of October. Comments can be made up until Friday, September 25 by writing to SCC’s planning department or visiting its online planning portal. For more information, visit www.sunderland.gov.uk/online-applications and search reference: 20/01549/FUL A message from the Editor: With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription. Subscribe to the Sunderland Echo website and enjoy unlimited access to local news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.sunderlandecho.com/subscriptions to sign up. You can subscribe to the newspaper with 20% off here: https://www.localsubsplus.co.uk/ Thank you.