Major Sunderland building near Wearmouth Bridge could be demolished for more student accommodation

Sunderland City Council has submitted an application to its own planning department for Bridge House at Bridge Street.

The three-storey office block sits near a major gateway into Sunderland city centre, and adjacent to the Wearmouth Bridge roundabout, but is currently vacant.

New plans from the city council are seeking permission to bulldoze the site to “unlock the site for future development”.

Sunderland City Council, in a statement, has confirmed that student accommodation is being considered as a potential future use for the land.

Plans for the demolition of the building have been submitted with a number of supporting documents, including a covering letter, outlining details of the works.

The covering letter states the council is planning to redevelop the Bridge House site to “complement the continued regeneration of Riverside Sunderland”.

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It was argued that the works were “necessary to ensure the continued regeneration and redevelopment of this part of Sunderland city centre”.

The covering letter adds: “The site is located within an area undergoing imminent and positive change, with modern residential and commercial development coming forward on nearby sites as part of the adjacent Riverside Sunderland regeneration project.

“Indeed, the council has bold ambitions to establish this area of thecity centre over the next 20 years as a successful business location; a popular place for people to live; and a focal point for civic, cultural and community life.

“In this context, the applicant is planning the redevelopment of the Bridge House site to complement the continued regeneration of Riverside Sunderland.

“To realise the council’s ambitions and to facilitate future development, planning permission is sought for the demolition of the existing office block on site.

“It is proposed that the demolition work will proceed in advance of detailed proposals being drawn up for the redevelopment of the site.”

A planning application confirms the site is council-owned but does not indicate when demolition is expected to happen, or how long it would take.

Supporting planning documents confirm that the demolition, if approved, would see a “hoard-it system fence erected to the perimeter of the site to prevent unauthorised access”.

Existing roofs would be “stripped of all coverings and the structures dismantled” while brickwork walls would be “reduced by a combination of hand demolition to protect vulnerable areas, and by mechanical means by collapsing the walls inwards under controlled conditions using 360-degree excavators”.

Materials from the site would also be “separated and sorted before being removed from site and taken to recycling stations”.

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As part of the works, temporary traffic regulation orders would also be put in place for public safety and access reasons, including a partial footpath closure to Bridge Street and the closure of the subway off Wear Street West for the duration of the works.

A council spokesperson added: “The city council and its partners are progressing at pace with the widespread regeneration of Riverside Sunderland, the Sunniside neighbourhood, and the wider city centre.

“High Street West and the Bridge House site have been identified as key locations for further investment as we build on the successful delivery of The Beam, City Hall, Keel Square Hotel, the new Eye Hospital, Maker & Faber, the New Wear Footbridge, and Culture House.

“The council has recently submitted a planning application for demolition and enabling works at the vacant Bridge House site.

“This is to unlock the site for future development and attract more investment to create new opportunities for residents and businesses.

“Several future uses are under consideration, including student accommodation, and we will provide further updates in due course.”

A decision on the proposed demolition of Bridge House will be made once a period of council consultation has concluded.

Sunderland City Council’s planning portal website lists a decision deadline of January 27, 2025.

For more information on the demolition bid or to track its progress, visit the council’s planning portal website and search reference: 24/02437/LP3

Any future student accommodation development on the site would require separate planning permission from Sunderland City Council.