'Luxury' apartments approved for Sunderland city centre building

Sunderland City Council’s planning department has approved an application for a building off Stockton Road and Mary Street in the St Michael’s ward.

The building, which sits near Sunderland’s Park Lane Interchange, consists of ground floor commercial units and offices above.

New plans submitted last year aimed to redevelop the upper levels of the building into apartments, while also retaining and upgrading the majority of retail units below.

The application proposed three commercial units at ground floor level, with the fourth becoming a reception lobby and office serving as the main access to apartments above.

Original plans proposed a building extension to the rear, replacing the existing roof forms and “constructing a new sensitive roof form”.

During the planning application process however, amended plans were submitted including the omission of the large rooftop extension and reduction in the number of apartments from six to three.

Final plans proposed three first floor “luxury apartments” as well as a lobby and communal area, with each apartment also including a living area, kitchen/dining area, bedroom and bathroom.

The council’s conservation team said the amended scheme represented a “much more sensitive approach to the conversion of a historic building, retaining surviving historic features”.

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

A council decision report said the plans would “contribute to providing new homes and so would contribute to diversifying the residential offer in Sunderland city centre and the creation of sustainable mixed communities”.

It was also noted that the plans would “retain the historic combination of retail and residential uses which complements the form of the building”.

The council decision report added: “The council’s local highway authority has raised no objections to the proposal in relation to impact of the proposal on highway safety.

“They have advised that car parking provision can be relaxed given the sustainable location of the application site, with good links to public transport.”

As part of the plans, the applicant is expected to enter into a Section 106 legal agreement to provide financial contributions towards ecology.

This includes funds to “mitigate recreational impacts generated by the proposal” on nearby designated nature sites.

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

For more information on the planning application and council decision, visit Sunderland City Council’s online planning portal website and search reference: 22/01329/FUL