Expansion plans approved for Springwell Health Centre in Sunderland

Plans for a Sunderland health centre to expand to meet “increasing visitor and staff demand” have been given the green light by council development chiefs.

Sunderland City Council’s planning department has approved an application for the Springwell Health Centre, which sits off Springwell Road in the city’s Barnes ward.

According to supporting documents submitted with a planning application earlier this year, the centre is “running at near capacity” with a building extension proposed to help meet demand.

Proposals aimed to “facilitate the expansion of the health practice” with six additional consulting rooms and one new treatment room, as well as an “enlarged waiting area”.

The planning application was submitted by NHS Property Services along with a number of supporting documents.

A design and access statement noted the extension would be situated within the south east section of the site with two separate heights.

This included a lower level linked to the new consulting/treatment rooms and a larger height linked to the new waiting area.

Those behind the scheme also confirmed that the request for expansion came from NHS Property Services and local staff to help “meet the increasing visitor and staff demand” at Springwell Health Centre.

It was said that “following an increase of patient numbers, services and employees now using the centre, increased operational space is required to meet demand”.

As part of the plans, no changes to external ground finishes or parking spaces were proposed, with the extension being “built into the existing raised grassed areas, with surrounding land levelled to suit the existing building”.

After considering the planning application and assessing it against planning policies, Sunderland City Council’s planning department approved it on April 23, 2024.

Council planners, in a decision report, noted the extension would provide “seven new consulting and treatment rooms, a larger waiting area, and additional toilet facilities”.

Additional information from the applicant also confirmed that post-development, there would be “a maximum of 29 practitioners on-site with 49 available car parking spaces”.

Council planners described the proposals as a “modest addition to the building” which would “reflect the design of the existing structure”.

The council’s transportation development team also confirmed that there were “no objections from a highway safety point of view”.

The council decision report added: “The extension will project slightly to the front, but will continue this irregular frontage.

“The materials to be used will match those used elsewhere on the building and overall, the proposal is not considered likely to result in any detriment to the visual amenities of the area.

“The extension will be constructed on an area that is currently set to grass.

“At least 11.9m of grassed open space will be retained between the proposed extension and a footpath linking Springwell Road and Sackville Road that sites between the site and the side garden boundaries of the nearest residential properties”.

Springwell Health Centre is a general health care centre employing doctors and community and district nurses.

Under planning conditions, the expansion plans must be brought forward within three years.

For more information on the planning application or council decision, visit Sunderland City Council’s planning portal website and search reference: 24/00183/FUL