The former Sunderland Eye Infirmary could begin disappearing from the city landscape within weeks as plans to demolish the historic hospital move forward.

The Queen Alexandra Road infirmary, officially opened by the future Queen Elizabeth II in 1946, has stood empty since services transferred to Sunderland’s new £50million Specialist Eye Hospital in the city centre.

Now housebuilder Story Homes has lodged plans to bulldoze the Ashbrooke site, with demolition scheduled to begin around October 1 and expected to take around nine months.

It marks the latest step towards the potential transformation of the prominent site, which has previously been earmarked for a development of around 62 homes.

The city's former eye infirmary site has been earmarked for demolition.

placeholder image — The city's former eye infirmary site has been earmarked for demolition.

Earlier planning documents revealed the housing proposals through a “screening opinion” application to establish whether an environmental impact assessment (EIA) would be needed before detailed plans could progress.

Sunderland City Council has since ruled that an EIA is not required, clearing the way for Story Homes to submit its separate demolition application.

The planning application states the Ashbrooke eye infirmary site is “no longer considered to meet modern standards” and is surplus to requirements since services moved to the new upgraded eye hospital in Sunderland city centre.

It adds that a period of decommissioning work ended in early August and that a thorough asbestos survey has been instructed to be undertaken prior to demolition.

The impressive NHS Sunderland Specialist Eye Hospital, which opened earlier this year.

Demolition is expected to take place in three phases.

Existing buildings will initially be demolished to slab level before slabs, foundations and hardstanding are “excavated and processed for re-use”.

The final phase will see the site regraded and a detailed site investigation carried out ahead of its potential redevelopment.

Waste would be removed using an approved construction traffic management route and taken to recycling, recovery or disposal facilities.

A demolition method statement says site traffic would use the main Queen Alexandra Road entrance, with staff managing HGVs entering and leaving the site.

However, pieces of the infirmary’s history are set to survive the demolition.

Three foundation stones built into its external walls are due to be “preserved and incorporated as a feature within the new specialist eye hospital”.

Story Homes claims noise from the proposed demolition is not anticipated to be “significant” but levels would be reviewed throughout the works, with “any relevant mitigation measures implemented as appropriate.”