New canteen and dining facilities planned for Sunderland school as it works to improve

Sunderland City Council’s planning department has received a planning application for Christ’s College in the Pennywell area.

The school, which was formerly Grindon Hall Christian School, provides education for children aged 4-16 and was recently incorporated with the Emmanuel Schools Foundation.

New plans aim to provide “significant space improvements” to both the existing dining and kitchen areas.

According to a design and access statement submitted to council officials on behalf of the school, the plans would solve operational issues with the spaces.

This includes the “restricted dining area” requiring “multiple sittings over an extended lunchtime period” to serve hundreds of pupils attending the school.

The supporting statement confirms that some diners have to “partly occupy areas of the sports hall, to accommodate pupil numbers per sitting” which “creates issues with timetabling of the sports hall”.

Those behind the scheme added the operation of the small kitchen and food preparation area has “proved challenging in meeting meal preparation and delivery demands during the lunchtime period”.

New plans aim to effectively double the size of both the dining area and kitchen area, offering around 246 covers to the canteen.

This aims to accommodate current pupil numbers under a new lunchtime timetable, as well as “reasonable provision should pupil numbers increase slightly in the future”.

The design and access statement adds: “In proposing an extension to the existing building, increased dining space, kitchen space, and improved circulation, can all be provided to address the challenges of the current spaces, easing the operating restrictions imposed by the size of the existing building facilities”.

A decision on the planning application will be made once a period of council consultation has concluded, with people living and working nearby being invited to have their say on the proposals.

Information on Sunderland City Council’s website indicates a decision is expected by May 26, 2023.

For more information on the planning application, or to track its progress, visit Sunderland City Council’s online planning portal and search reference: 23/00730/FUL