Decision date for new Sunderland bungalow development on site of quirky 1960s church in Ryhope

Earlier this year, Sunderland City Council lodged an application with its own planning department for the St. Cuthbert’s Methodist Church in the Ryhope area.

This included a bid to bulldoze the building, which sits on the junction of Western Hill and Shaftesbury Avenue, and to erect six bungalows with associated “staff hubs”, parking and landscaping.

A design and access statement submitted on behalf of the city council described the church building as “dilapidated” and said it has been unused for a number of years, with new proposals aiming to revamp the site.

This includes the erection of “high quality, bespoke housing for use by adult social care of Sunderland City Council” for over 55s who require extra support and care.

A decision on the planning application is expected to be made by the city council’s Planning and Highways Committee later this month.

Council planning officers, in a report prepared ahead of the meeting, have deemed the scheme acceptable and recommended it for approval.

While acknowledging the plans would lead to the loss of a community facility, council planners noted the building is in a “poor condition” and has been unused for years.

The council report adds: “The development would allow people with varying care needs to live as independently as possible whilst enabling ongoing care needs to be met.

“The site is within a sustainable location with access to local services and facilities and would assist in the local authorities housing target.

“Taking the above into deliberation, whilst the loss of the church is noted, the building has been vacant for a number of years and is in a state of disrepair; the development would provide ongoing care provision for vulnerable adults within a community facility.

“The proposal would assist in the local authorities housing target via the provision of new housing which would meet the needs of vulnerable future occupants and as such the proposal is considered acceptable and in accordance with local and national planning policies”.

Proposals for the site include three specialist three-bedroom bungalows with links to two staff hubs and three two-bedroom bungalows with communal living areas, with the development also benefitingb from assistive technology.

Under the scheme, the bungalows would face into a central courtyard area to “enclose the site and create a community feel within”, with greenspace also located to the periphery of the site being used for private or shared gardens.

Access to the proposed bungalows is proposed from Shaftesbury Avenue via a shared surface road, with 12 parking spaces available within the site and a turning head to allow vehicles to exit in forward gear.

Council planning officers, in a report, noted that there had been no public objections and that the development was acceptable in terms of design, highway and pedestrian safety and impacts on residential amenity.

A final decision on the scheme rests with members of the Planning and Highways Committee, who will next meet on Monday, April 17, at City Hall.

The meeting is due to start at 5.30pm and will be open to the public.