Developers table plans to turn Sunderland city centre card shop into 'apart-hotel' amid growing demand
Plans for new “apart-hotel” accommodation in Sunderland city centre have been submitted to council development bosses.
Sunderland City Council’s planning department has received an application for 30 Blandford Street.
The two-storey building sits adjacent to the former Yorkshire Bank site currently under development and was formerly used as a card shop.
New plans from applicant Raj Deep Holdings Ltd are seeking permission to develop part of the building into “apart-hotel accommodation.”
This includes “converting part of the rear ground floor and the entire first floor into four short-stay hotel rooms, whilst retaining the existing ground floor retail unit at the front.”
The details of the development are set out in a planning, design and access statement submitted to council officials, which notes the scheme represents a “positive example of adaptive reuse”.
This includes the proposed plans “bringing an underutilised town centre building back into productive use, creating quality visitor accommodation to meet demonstrated local demand and contributing to the vitality and viability of Sunderland city centre”.
Plans for the ground floor include retaining the existing retail unit at the front of the building, “converting approximately half of the rear ground floor area” to create two hotel rooms and the provision of a new communal bin storage facility, a cycle parking area and a rear access serving the two hotel rooms.
Meanwhile, plans for the first floor include converting the entire floor into two hotel rooms with “access maintained via [the] existing independent front entrance”, with all hotel rooms also having individual bathroom facilities.
In terms of management and the operation of the development, applicants said there would be “access control” with a “fully digital access system eliminating need for physical key exchange” and “remote check-in and check-out procedures”.
Security and monitoring measures would include CCTV “covering all entry/exit points and communal areas” and those behind the scheme also confirmed a “local manager” would be appointed “with responsibility for day-to-day operations”.
Applicants stressed there would be a “dedicated complaints procedure for addressing any out-of-hours disturbances”, a “commitment to swift resolution of any antisocial behaviour issues” and “house rules provided to all guests emphasising respect for neighbours and quiet hours”.
The planning, design and access statement noted there was a “strong and demonstrable demand for short-stay accommodation in Sunderland city centre, driven by multiple factors”.
This ranged from “Sunderland’s growing business and commercial sectors generating business travel demand” and “increasing conference and events activity in the city”, to “match day visitors to the Stadium of Light” and “growing visitor numbers to Sunderland’s cultural attractions and venues”.
It was argued that the site at 30 Blandford Street “is particularly well-suited to meet this demand” due to its public transport access and central location in the “heart of the city centre”.
The supporting document added: “The proposed conversion of 30 Blandford Street to create a four-room apart-hotel represents a high-quality, sustainable development that will deliver tangible benefits for Sunderland city centre.
“The scheme exemplifies best practice in adaptive reuse, bringing an underutilised building back to life in a manner that respects its contextwhilst meeting contemporary needs.
“The development responds positively to the challenges facing modern town centres by diversifying uses, increasing activity and footfall and supporting the local economy [and] aligns with national policy direction encouraging town centre revitalisation and with Sunderland’s strategic regeneration objectives.
“Strong demand for short-stay accommodation in this highly accessible location, combined with appropriate management measures to safeguard amenity, demonstrates that the proposal can be successfully integrated into the existing urban fabric.”
A decision on the planning application is expected later this year following a council consultation exercise.
For more information on the plan, or to track its progress, visit Sunderland City Council’s planning portal website and search reference: 26/00389/FUL