Bonmarché set to return to Sunderland city centre with new shop in Market Square

Sunderland City Council’s planning department has received an application for new signs at 18 Market Square near the city’s central rail station.

Despite plans being approved for a restaurant and café at the site back in 2020, and advertising signs stating development is ‘coming soon’ being in place for years, no development has come forward.

A new advertising application has hinted plans are under way for a prospective tenant to set up shop at the site, and names women’s clothing retailer Bonmarché in design images.

The project is described in planning documents as “Bonmarché – Sunderland” and proposed signage shows the retailer’s signature branding.

The advertising consent application follows a separate planning application for a “replacement shopfront” at the same Market Square unit, submitted last year (2024), which sought permission for design alterations.

This included relocating the existing double door and moving it to the left side of the commercial unit and fully glazing the right side of the unit, with the neighbouring commercial unit occupied by CeX unaffected by the changes.

Bonmarché, which was reported to have 225 shops across the country last year when it was embarking on an expansion scheme, was previously based in a different unit in Sunderland’s Market Square near the northern entrance to Sunderland rail station but the fashion retailer is no longer using the unit.

Bonmarché’s website confirms its nearest stores are now in The Galleries shopping centre in Washington and Dalton Park shopping centre in Murton.

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Sunderland City Council’s planning department is yet to make decisions on plans for Bonmarché’s potential new Sunderland home.

This includes the application for a replacement shopfront at 18 Market Square and the separate application for signage at the same site.

Decisions on the planning applications are expected this year, following a council consultation exercise.

For more information, visit Sunderland City Council’s planning portal website and search reference: 25/00380/ADV