Latest update on new hotel for Sunderland city centre amid rising demand
Plans for new hotel accommodation at a listed building in Sunderland city centre have been given the green light by council development bosses.
Sunderland City Council’s planning department has approved an application for 58 John Street in the city’s Hendon ward.
The property is part of a Grade II-listed terrace and has most recently been occupied by a law firm.
A design and access statement confirmed the plans aimed to create “eight guest bedrooms within the building arranged across three floors”, along with a lounge and ‘tv lounge’ areas planned in the basement to provide “comfortable and sociable shared amenities for future guests”.
Submitted floor plans also showed a mix of en-suite bathrooms and communal bathroom facilities, including a “communal shower room” serving hotel guests.
Those behind the hotel scheme referenced “significant regeneration” in Sunderland and noted the city was “rapidly re-establishing itself as a dynamic urban destination” drawing visitors through its “vibrant football culture, historic shipbuilding and industrial heritage, scenic coastline, or emerging arts and events scene”.
In this context, the applicant said there was a “growing demand for high-quality visitor accommodation within the city centre” and noted there was a “need for centrally located, well-appointed short-stay options […] as Sunderland continues to attract both leisure and business travellers”.
The design and access statement added 58 John Street “is well-suited to a boutique hotel or guest accommodation use” and that the building is “underutilised and in need of a viable and long-term use to secure its ongoing maintenance and conservation.”
During a council consultation exercise on the plans, Northumbria Police raised concerns about aspects of the development’s layout and the lack of an “obvious reception” and asked for information about the management and maintenance of the development, proposed security at the site and more.
A response from the applicant’s agent, included in a council decision report, said “all bookings are done online via email, with the accessible QR code only working on the day of arrival, and subsequent days of stay”.
It was also noted that CCTV would be in use at the site, that the development would “be all remote via Air BnB” and that “the rear yard is not part of the application, and no rear yard access will be given to guests apart from emergency escape.”
Planning bids for both a change of use of the building and listed building consent for works were submitted to council planning bosses and there were no public comments on either application during a council consultation.
After considering the applications, Sunderland City Council’s planning department approved the plans on March 5, 2026.
Council planners, in a decision report linked to the change of use, said the “proposed hotel use is acceptable in principle given the historic residential use” and that the development would “have no adverse impact on the significance of the building”.
It was noted that the hotel development would “provide the bedrooms a good standard of amenity for the bedrooms on all floors, offering a good level of amenity to prospective occupiers”.
On parking matters, the council report said “the development is within the S2 City Centre parking zone, whereby parking can be relaxed” and that the site benefits from “good links to public transport, with the Rail and Metro station within close walking proximity.”
Under planning conditions, the development must be brought forward within three years.
For more information on the plan, or to track its progress, visit Sunderland City Council’s planning portal website and search reference 25/01116/FUL and 25/01117/LBC.