Redevelopment plans approved for former fish and chip shop in Hendon area of Sunderland

Sunderland City Council’s planning department has approved an application for a building on the corner of Smyrna Place and Hendon Road in the Hendon ward.

According to a report prepared by council planners, the building has housed a number of businesses over the years including a taxi booking office and a hot food takeaway use, including a number of fish and chip shops.

New plans aimed to convert the wider site into two one-bedroom flats, as well as the construction of a new commercial unit to the front of the property and a single-storey extension to the rear.

Original plans were received by the council in 2021 with amended plans lodged in November, 2022, aiming to address concerns raised by development bosses.

This included the visual impact of the development and issues with the proposed accommodation, including the “absence of windows to a number of rooms” and the size of one of the proposed bedrooms.

After considering the amended planning application and assessing it against planning policies, Sunderland City Council’s planning department approved it on June 29, 2023.

Council planners said the development would allow the retention of one retail unit at the site and would not “appear incongruous in relation to the host property or within the street scene”.

Operating hours for the commercial shop unit were limited to between 8am and 6pm, Monday to Saturday, and between 8am and 5pm on Bank Holidays and Sundays.

It was also noted that the plans would not “compromise residential, visual amenity, land contamination, protected species or highway safety”.

The council decision report added: “Although the application form confirmed two in-curtilage parking spaces, it does not appear that these are actually provided on site.

“However, it was noted during the site visit that unrestricted on street parking is readily available in the vicinity of the site.

“It is also considered that the proximity to the city centre and the availability of good public transport links would ensure that potential occupiers would not necessarily be expected to utilise a car for transport purposes.

“The lack of any dedicated parking to serve the flats in this instance is not therefore considered to be crucial to the overall acceptability of the scheme.

“With regard to the request for cycle storage, occupiers will be able to store bicycles within the flats.”

A report submitted on behalf of the applicant gives a brief history of the site, and states it was originally occupied by residential properties until the 1950s.

The report adds the properties were subsequently demolished and replaced with the current building which was “used as a clinic and later a chip shop”.

According to the submitted report, the building has since “been abandoned and fallen [into] disrepair”.

For more information on the planning application or council decision, visit Sunderland City Council’s online planning portal and search planning reference: 21/02775/FUL