Plans to turn former Hendon social club into apartments recommended for approval

Sunderland City Council’s planning department has recommended housing plans for approval at the Ivy Leaf Club and Institute off Suffolk Street.

Previous plans submitted earlier in 2020 aimed to convert the vacant building into around 20 apartments across three floors.

However, the plans have since been amended reducing the total number of apartments to 13 and adding windows at the side of the building.

The application is due to be decided by the city council’s Planning and Highways (East) Committee at Sunderland Civic Centre on July 5.

A planning report prepared for councillors on the committee states the benefits of the development would outweigh the loss of a community facility.

The report reads: “In terms of the principle of the proposed development, officers consider that the benefit of bringing a long-term vacant building back into use would outweigh the harm caused by the loss of a community facility.

“Especially given that the provision of apartments would otherwise be a sustainable form of development.”

Developers have previously said that the apartments would be well-connected to local facilities and public transport, with parking also available in the wider locality.

Any planning approval would be subject to a section 106 agreement between the council and the applicant to help reduce the impact of the new housing.

The legal agreements are a normal part of the planning process and in this case aim to secure a financial contribution towards ecology.

This includes “mitigation of impact upon the protected coastline at a rate of £271 per apartment.”

The public planning hearing will take place next Monday and starts at 5.30pm.

For more information on the meeting and to access the agenda, visit: committees.sunderland.gov.uk/committees/cmis5/Meetings.aspx

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