Housing association ‘community hub’ plan for Sunderland

A housing association is looking to establish a new “community hub” on Wearside under plans submitted to city development chiefs.

Sunderland City Council’s planning department has received an application from Home Group, which has a large number of properties across the city.

A new planning application from the housing company aims to change the use of 103 Portland Road in the Barnes ward into an office use.

A design and access statement submitted to council officials confirms the property would serve as a “community hub” and outlines Home Group’s existing operations across Sunderland.

This includes responsibility for more than 1,500 rented properties, a specialist mental health service and a newly-created STEP service, which supports those with complex needs to live independently.

It was noted that the closest commercial Home Group office is at a site in County Durham, around 15 miles from Sunderland.

Those behind the scheme said the new offices would allow Home Group staff to be “closer to our communities, providing a space within the city whereby we can manage our general needs customers/ properties and also our supported customers”.

It was also noted that there was a “large demand” for Home Group’s STEP service within the city, with “25 units dedicated to providing support in the community”.

The design and access statement adds: “This application refers to the proposed change of use for Home Group-owned 103 Portland Road, Sunderland.

“The existing use of the property is category C3 – dwellinghouses, and we are proposing to change the use to category E (g)(i)- other appropriate services in a commercial, business or service locality.

“With this proposal, no internal or external changes will be made to the property, that will affect the fabric of the building.

“We intend to use this workspace as a base for our housing managers and our STEP services and Sunderland is a key growth area for supported and rented within the region”.

Planning documents note that Home Group has four housing managers and around seven “supported colleagues” who will use the space to “drop in and work from whilst they are visiting their customers/ patch”.

While staff would still have access and use Durham offices for “dedicated office days”, Home Group said the Sunderland community hub would have a number of benefits, including “the proximity of the community hub to customers and the ability to deal with issues quickly”, as well as staff being “visible in the community”.

The application has already been welcomed by Barnes ward councillor Antony Mullen, who has left a comment on the council’s planning portal website.

Cllr Mullen said Home Group “lacks a presence on Plains Farm” since it closed its office several years ago and that there had been issues around “land maintenance” and communication since.

The Barnes councillor added: “The plans to return an office to the estate will help to tackle a lot of these problems and improve the estate as a whole.”

A decision will be made on the plans once a period of council consultation has concluded.

Sunderland City Council’s planning portal website lists a decision deadline of June 20, 2024.

For more information on the plans, visit the council’s planning portal website and search reference: 24/00811/FUL