Historic former Sunderland pub to serve beer once more after 'brew bar' plans approved for Bridge Hotel

Sunderland City Council’s planning department has approved an application for The Bridge Hotel on the corner of High Street West and Sunderland Street.

Built in 1797 as a house for the Lambton family, the building then became a pub in 1820, according to English Heritage, and continued as a bar until the late 1990s.

The pub is also believed to have been used by author Charles Dickens when he was appearing at the Lyceum Theatre in Sunderland.

In recent years the building has been called ‘Lambton House’ and used as offices and meeting rooms for the city’s youth offending service.

A planning application submitted in September, 2023, sought permission to change the use of the ground floor from offices back to a public house and to add a brew bar/tap room at the rear of the building.

Plans included both internal and external building alterations and refurbishment and the use of a forecourt as a beer garden, as well as retained offices on upper floors which would be available to rent on the open market.

Under the plans the ground floor would essentially serve as two units with shared washroom facilities and Vaux Brewery, a company which relaunched the iconic brand in 2019, is expected to operate the brew bar.

The development would “allow patrons to observe the brewery process and equipment on-site, as well as operating as a tap room”.

During a council consultation exercise on the plans, the Sunderland and South Tyneside branch of CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) posted comments in support.

Campaigners added that plans to “restore [the building] to its original purpose” were welcome and that the application would “fit well with a current project we are developing to highlight the heritage pubs within our branch area”.

After considering the planning application and assessing it against planning policies, Sunderland City Council’s planning department approved it on October 27, 2023.

A council decision report noted the ground floor of the property had been vacant for several years, “contributing toward a decline in the visual attractiveness of the immediate and surrounding streetscape”.

Council planners said proposed internal and external alterations would “suitably protect, conserve, enhance and celebrate the special historic interest of the listed building”.

The council decision report added: “It is considered that the proposed works would have no unacceptable impacts on architectural significance of the listed building.

“Instead they would conserve an historic built environment resource whose future could otherwise have been placed in doubt and jeopardised by lack of use and therefore, maintenance”.

A planning statement submitted with the planning application earlier this year said the brew bar would offer “flexibility as a venue/event space expanding on the success of [Vaux’s] Monk Street taproom”.

It was also noted that the combination of a traditional pub and brew bar would add to the “burgeoning independent cluster of businesses locally” and “contribute to the vitality of the city centre, diversifying its leisure and tourism offer”.

The planning statement added: “Working in tandem with what is already in place nearby, the proposals will contribute towards making this end of High Street West a destination venue”.

Under planning conditions works on the Bridge Hotel site must take place within three years.

For more information on the plan and council decision, visit Sunderland City Council’s planning portal website and search reference: 23/01904/LBC