Sunderland City Council approves plans for listed bank building

Sunderland City Council’s planning department has approved an application for Lloyds Bank at 54 Fawcett Street.

The application for listed building consent was submitted earlier this year and proposed “repair and maintenance works to the interior and exterior”.

This included “making good” and replacing relevant materials on a like-for-like basis, as well as “alterations to the laylight window to the rear of the building”.

A design statement submitted with the plans said the scheme included “much-needed maintenance and repair work, largely making good and replacing like-for-like”, with the “only notable change being to the laylight to the rear”.

The design statement added: “At some point, the original windows have been replaced with aluminium windows and are too low to the adjacent roof which has caused problems with water ingress, therefore, we are looking to rebuild this construction to match the original detail with a slight increase in height to improve the weathering detail”.

A planning application added works would include the “stripping out of internal finish”, which refers to “water-damaged plaster which will be repaired/replaced like-for-like”.

After considering the planning application and assessing it against planning policies, Sunderland City Council’s planning department approved it on May 14, 2024.

Council planners, in a decision report, said the works would not impact the significance of the listed bank building and that work needed to take place within three years.

Comments from the council’s conservation officer also noted the work would “ensure the building’s significance is conserved and sustained into the future”.

The council decision report adds: “The proposed works predominantly comprise a quite extensive range of like‐for‐like repairs to be carried out in traditional materials and to sympathetic techniques that represents good conservation practice and will have a considerable positive impact on the longer-term maintenance and conservation of the building.

“Alterations works are limited to replacing the more recent aluminium windows to the rear laylight with more traditional timber windows whilst also improving the weathering detail”.

A council report notes the building was designed in the “architecturally-distinctive Palazzo style” and is “prominently located” at the corner of Fawcett Street and St Thomas Street in the Sunniside Conservation Area.

The official listing for 54 Fawcett Street on Historic England’s website states the building dates back to 1890 and was originally built for Lambton’s Bank.

The building is recognised in the listing for its “high plinths”, “Tuscan porches” and “Mansard roof” with five dormers.

For more information on the planning application or council decision, visit Sunderland City Council’s planning portal website and search reference: 24/00543/LBC