New plans for pub and nightclub development at former Sunderland JJB Sports store, with cocktail bar and rooftop beer garden proposed

Sunderland City Council’s planning department has received a new application for 92 High Street West in the city’s Millfield ward.

The building was formerly a JJB Sports store and following its closure several planning applications have been submitted to revamp the space.

Plans to open a pub at the former sportswear store site and to give the building a major facelift, including heritage improvements, were approved in November, 2018.

This included plans for a bar area on the ground floor and two function rooms on the first floor, as well as office and staff facilities on the second floor.

In 2020, another planning application was submitted requesting changes to the internal layout which was approved by the city council in January, 2021.

This included a seating area and bar on the ground floor and the addition of nightclub areas across the first and second floors.

In recent months work has started on the building involving the removal of previous metal cladding and the restoration of the front facade.

The scheme also includes planned restoration works to a historic pub front at the side of the building, in Pann Lane.

Now the same applicant Roxborough Plant and Construction Ltd has submitted a new planning application requesting further changes to the development and the building’s internal layout.

The main additions include a ‘raised VIP area’ and defined dance floor area with a DJ booth on the first floor and a new cocktail bar on the second floor.

Another change to the scheme includes the addition of a rooftop beer garden and smoking area on the second floor with space for several tables.

Previously approved plans have not included a beer garden or smoking area, with the space labelled as a “flat roof access to fire escape”.

A decision on the new planning application will be made once a period of council consultation has concluded.

Information on Sunderland City Council’s website suggests a decision will be made by September 8, 2023.

For more information on the planning application or to track its progress, visit Sunderland City Council’s planning portal website and search reference: 23/01356/FUL