Former Houghton dental surgery set to become flat after plans approved by Sunderland City Council

Plans to convert a former Houghton dental surgery into a flat have been given the green light by council development chiefs.

Sunderland City Council’s planning department has approved an application for 13 Church Street in the city’s Houghton ward.

Plans submitted by Penshaw Pharmacy last year aimed to change the use of the Grade II-listed building’s ground floor and to convert the space into a one-bedroom flat.

According to council planning documents, the site was once a small dental practice but has now been relocated to a larger property elsewhere on Church Street.

Proposed plans for the ground floor flat aimed to “maximise the space” with a mixed living and dining area, kitchen, bathroom, laundry/storage area and one bedroom.

In addition, it was confirmed that no demolitions were proposed, apart from the removal and addition of some internal partition walls.

Proposals also included the replacement of the window on the building’s front elevation “dominated by wooden shutters”.

During a council public consultation exercise on the plan, one ‘neutral’ representation was received from a property on Church Street.

The comment referenced the issue of ‘weekday parking’ on the street linked to businesses, visitors and deliveries, and asked the council to consider “implementing residential parking only in this conservation area”.

It was argued that this would “make the prospect much more agreeable, and encourage more use of the designated areas in the town for parking, in much need of passing footfall”.

The council’s network management team, responding, reviewed the comment and raised no objections to the flat plan.

After considering the planning application and assessing it against planning policies, Sunderland City Council’s planning department approved it on January 25, 2024.

A council decision report said the former dentist’s surgery had been reopened in the same street in a larger premises and remains in place.

However, it was noted that 13 Church Street had been “marketed unsuccessfully for over two years and as such it is considered that there has been no loss of [a] community facility”.

The council decision report added: “The proposal is not entirely visible to the street scene and is not considered to have any impact upon the character of the conservation area or the host property.

“It is in keeping with the commercial nature of the site and as such is considered acceptable.

“The council’s conservation team have offered no objections although would require a plan and specification in relation to the replacement windows in the front and rear elevations”.

Following a request from council officers, amended plans were also submitted to show a cycle store had been added.

A design and access statement submitted to the council last year said the building’s “Georgian architecture and proximity to the church provides the building with historical importance”.

The statement added that proposed works would “not have any adverse impact upon the historical features of the site or its neighbouring properties”, with the outer structure of the building “remaining untouched”.

Under planning conditions, the residential conversion must be brought forward within three years.

For more information on the planning application and council decision, visit Sunderland City Council’s planning portal website and search reference: 23/02257/FUL

Caption: General view of Church Street, Houghton Picture: Google Maps