Plans approved for new changing facilities at Hetton Lyons Cricket Club

Sunderland City Council’s planning department has approved a planning application for the Hetton Lyons Cricket Club off Lilywhite Terrace in the Hetton ward.

According to its website, the cricket club, which dates back to Victorian times, was founded in 1865 and is described as “friendly, sociable and inclusive”, hosting a range of senior and junior teams, as well as using its base for activities for children.

New plans from the club aimed to improve facilities on site by building a first floor extension above the existing single-storey club shop building.

A planning application submitted to council officials earlier this year confirmed the plans would provide “additional changing facilities”.

The extension was proposed to have several accesses, including via a new external staircase leading to a balcony area, with metal columns and railings painted to match the existing pavilion.

During the planning application process, the plans were amended to provide an additional staircase.

After considering the amended plan and assessing it against planning policies, Sunderland City Council’s planning department approved it on July 10, 2023.

Council planners, in a decision report, said the plans would “benefit the existing sporting/recreational use of the site”.

It was also noted that the plans would be acceptable in terms of impacts on residential and visual amenity and highway and pedestrian safety.

The council decision report adds: “It is not considered that the addition of these changing facilities would greatly increase existing [sic] levels of activity on site, to a degree that would warrant a refusal of permission in this instance.

“Given this and the fact that the building is located some distance from residential neighbours, it is not considered that the amenity of nearby dwellings would be unduly harmed, with regard to the generation of noise and disturbance”.

For more information on the planning application or council decision, visit the council’s online planning portal website and search under the reference number: 23/01084/FUL

For more on Hetton Lyons Cricket Club, visit the website at: http://www.hettonlyonscc.co.uk