New bars in Sunderland's Keel Square set for 2am licences after The Botanist and Barluga owners apply for longer hours

The Holiday Inn, based in Keel Square, recently opened to the public as part of ongoing regeneration work at Riverside Sunderland.

As well as its own hospitality offering, the hotel building includes four business units on the ground floor with several set to become home to high-profile leisure brands.

When the hotel was originally granted planning permission in 2019, there was a condition put on any future “drinking establishments” operating within the ground or first floor units of the hotel.

This included permitted opening hours of 6am to 11.30pm, Monday to Thursday (except Bank Holidays), 6am to midnight on Friday and Saturday (except Bank Holidays) and 6am to 10.30pm on Sunday and Bank Holidays.

However in October, 2022, applicants New World Trading Company, the company behind The Botanist, and Vaulkhard Leisure, applied for these times to be extended.

This included any premises occupied as a drinking establishment within ground or first floor units being allowed to open “for the purposes of any business or trade” between 6am and 2am on all days, including Bank Holidays.

The reason for this, set out by applicants in a covering letter, included “providing an improved commercial offering for prospective occupiers and customers”.

It was also argued that the plans would “boost the night time economy in Sunderland which has been significantly affected by the recent and ongoing coronavirus pandemic”.

The covering letter continues: “Later opening hours are intended to attract quality businesses to the site and provide for greater choice amongst the public.

“This in turn would help to stimulate the economy, increasing expenditure on the high street and in turn positively impacting upon the significant improvements being made by the council and businesses across the city centre as a whole.

“Extending opening hours would also assist in controlling the exit of customers from the venue during the evening by avoiding a mass exodus and potentially reducing late night disturbance that this can often bring for city centre residents.

“Specific measures to control late night guests would be expected to be dealt with under licensing regimes”.

Those behind the planning bid stated the original opening hours condition, linked to the hotel planning permission, was not based on any concerns raised by the council’s environmental health officer about noise and disturbance.

It was argued that extended opening hours would not cause any “significant adverse” noise or odour issues and that any impacts would be “outweighed by the positive effects delivered through the development.”

After considering the planning application and assessing impacts on residential amenity, the opening hours extension was approved on February 9, 2023.

A statement from the council’s environmental health officer said the operation of the venues would be monitored by licensing laws and that extended opening hours would be acceptable in planning terms.

The council decision report adds: “The operation of any leisure related use such as this is subject to specific requirements set out in licensing legislation, including the obligation to manage premises so as to prevent or minimise public nuisance and with consideration for its relationship with neighbouring uses.

“Reviews of such licences are provided for by the legislation and may be instituted where management provisions do not succeed in preventing any adverse impacts.

“Given this regulatory provision and the location of the premises in a commercial environment relatively distant from permanent residential accommodation, it is considered that the proposed variation in hours of opening is acceptable”.

Confirmed occupiers for the Holiday Inn business units so far include New World Trading Company, which is expected to bring The Botanist to Keel Square.

The Vaulkhard Group, the group behind Barluga and The Bridge Tavern, is linked to another unit although the name of the bar is yet to be announced.

It is also understood that a third unit will be a bar, although a trader has not been announced yet, and that the fourth unit will be retail.

For more information on the planning application and council decision, visit Sunderland City Council’s online planning portal and search reference: 22/02314/VAR