New business units in Washington given the go ahead by Sunderland City Council

Sunderland City Council’s planning department has approved an application for a plot of land at Parsons Industrial Estate, off Parsons Road, in the Washington West ward.

Plans from Haley Properties Ltd, submitted earlier this year, were linked to land near the Impress Precision Machining factory unit.

The land included open space within the curtilage of the existing factory site.

Plans proposed nine new single-storey industrial units, with five to the site’s eastern boundary and four to the western boundary, along with associated parking.

A design and access statement submitted to council officials said the scheme would provide an “additional 9,000 square feet of industrial accommodation”.

Each unit is expected to have ‘sanitary fittings’ and a kitchen and office area, with the remaining site area “re-organised as car parking for the factory and the proposed units”.

It was also noted that each unit would have a roller shutter door, personnel door and an escape door to the rear and that some units provided flexibility to be merged into larger units if required.

During a council consultation on the plan, one public comment was received requesting that “bat and swift nesting sites are part of the design of the buildings”.

After considering the planning application and assessing it against planning policies, Sunderland City Council’s planning department approved it on October 30, 2023.

A council decision report noted the proposal was acceptable and would not be “out of keeping” with the commercial and industrial surroundings.

Council planners also welcomed the plans being amended to show the position of a cycle store, as well as imposing ecological conditions.

This included the provision of bird and bat boxes in line with planning policies which aim to “secure ecological engagement”.

It was noted that the bird boxes would be ‘nest boxes’ for “more generalist species in this case” because of the time it typically takes for swift boxes to become occupied.

Council planners said this approach was proposed as swift also “tend to nest in taller buildings” and that the buildings proposed were single-storey.

The council decision report added: “[The development] is considered to be appropriate development within the area.

“It does not negatively impact visual amenity, residential amenity, ecology or highway and pedestrian safety and is therefore recommended for approval subject to conditions.”

Under planning conditions, the new industrial units must be brought forward within three years.

For more information on the planning application and council decision, visit the council’s planning portal website and search reference: 23/01652/FUL