Plans approved to demolish The Cavalier pub in Silksworth to create new Sunderland housing development

Proposals for The Cavalier public house in Silksworth went before Sunderland City Council’s planning and highways committee on Monday evening (July 31).

The application, submitted by CJ Taverns, will see the demolition of the pub and 14 houses and a three-storey building providing five apartments built in its place.

The proposals also include car parking, landscaping and a new pedestrian access being provided, as well as existing vehicle access arrangements at the site being “retained and upgraded”.

The application previously went before the committee in June, however councillors deferred making a decision to allow them to undertake a site visit to view and assess concerns raised.

Since then amended plans were submitted showing the removal of the second-floor windows facing south from the proposed apartments, which led to the withdrawal of some of the objections previously lodged over the proposals.

Councillor Melanie Thornton, planning and highways committee chair, said they were “all pleased” with the changes that had been made to the application.

The plans were unanimously approved by councillors, in line with recommendations from officers, subject to conditions.

This includes the completion of a Section 106 agreement which is used to secure funds from developers to mitigate the impacts of developments, as well as requesting financial contributions towards community improvements.

The legal agreement would secure the provision of three affordable units on site and financial contributions towards allotments, equipped play space and open space.

Other financial contributions include around £15,000 to boost biodiversity and funds to reduce impacts on protected coastal nature areas.

Representatives speaking on behalf of the applicant at the previous meeting said they were happy to meet with residents to discuss any concerns, while noting the current building is “in a state of disrepair”.

Although some of the previous objections, including from Silksworth ward councillor Phil Tye, had been removed, concerns still remained from the Sunderland and South Tyneside branch of Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA).

CAMRA’s original objection during the council’s consultation on the planned outlined the pub had been known as one of Sunderland’s best for beer.

Ian Monteith-Preston, pubs protection officer at the group, had argued “no evidence of unviability of this venue as a public house has ever been provided”.

However council planning officers concluded the proposals were acceptable, ruling the “moderate economic and social benefit of providing housing outweighs the minor and moderate environmental and social harm”.

The site, which includes a public house with a large beer garden area and parking off Silksworth Lane, was previously granted outline planning permission for the demolition of the pub to build detached dwellings.

However, a design and access statement submitted on behalf of applicant CJ Taverns said the site had been marketed for sale with “little interest due to the limited numbers of large executive dwellings.”

The statement added the revised scheme would provide “family homes more suitably sized for the site and location along with five apartments.”