Supported housing plans approved for Sunderland's Halfway House pub site

Sunderland City Council’s planning department has approved an application for the Halfway House pub site, which sits off Southwick Road near the Stadium of Light.

An application from Bright Ideas Consulting and Development, submitted last year on behalf of the city council, sought permission to convert the pub into seven bedrooms and a ‘staff accommodation unit’.

According to documents submitted to council planning officials at the time, the development aimed to house males aged 18-25 with “complex needs” and would “help vulnerable people who find themselves homeless”.

This included people from a range of backgrounds such as those leaving care or hospital, as well as street homeless and rough sleepers.

During a council consultation on the plans last year, the proposals sparked opposition from local residents and campaigners from CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale), along with concerns from local councillors about the “sustainability” of the development and how neighbours had been consulted.

The planning application was subsequently withdrawn on September 29, 2023, but the city council indicated it would revisit the supported housing scheme.

New plans submitted to Sunderland City Council’s planning department in July, 2024, aimed to revive the scheme for “single males” aged between 18 and 25, plus staff members.

The plans included a “supported housing scheme consisting of 8no. bedrooms and living space for people with complex needs, with intensive on-site 24/7 support and support staff accommodation”.

Council planning documents confirmed the development would be operated by the council’s support provider Changing Lives, the provider linked to the scheme when it was first proposed last year.

During a new council public consultation exercise on the plan there were five objections, with concerns raised about the supported housing scheme’s location and level of clarity around who would live in it.

There were also calls for the building to remain as a public house from Sunderland and South Tyneside CAMRA and wider public concerns about anti-social behaviour and staffing at the site.

The representation from CAMRA said that as a ‘community facility’ in planning policy terms, “it should be proven the venue is unviable as a public house before consideration [is] given to reuse” and that this must “take into account future potential as well as past performance”.

It was argued that the applicant had failed to take account of this policy, however a council decision report said the premises was “advertised for more than 24 months” and that “there has only been one offer from the applicant”.

It was also noted that a specialist company had “undertaken additional marketing beyond the requirements of the relevant development plan policy (such as sending details of the property to potential buyers registered on their database and advertisements on other property websites)”.

Council planners, in the public decision report, said the applicant had “demonstrated that [the pub] is not suitable for any other community uses” and that the proposed scheme would provide “specialist housing”.

After considering the planning application and assessing it against planning policies, Sunderland City Council’s planning department approved it on December 13, 2024.

The council decision report said the development would meet a council City Plan ambition to create “more and better housing” and would provide “high quality support […] that enables those who need it to live the life they want to lead.”

It added there were no issues in terms of privacy or design, as well as no objections from Northumbria Police or the council’s highways department.

A design and access statement from the applicant sets out the proposed support, with residents “likely to remain at the scheme for approximately six months”.

Those behind the scheme said “support will be provided to the residents to enable them to live safely in the scheme and gain skills to allow them to move on to living in their own property”.

The design and access statement adds: “The scheme will be staffed 24/7 with two support staff members, who will provide experienced support and effectively manage any potential issues.

“On occasion, this may increase to a maximum of three support staff members. A typical support staff member’s working shift would be approximately eight hours long.

“The public highway in the vicinity of the property boundary will be used to park vehicles by support staff and will be limited to up to three cars at any one time.

“The residents of the property will not own vehicles.”

A community consultation statement submitted with the new planning application states the accommodation would “help vulnerable people who find themselves homeless”.

The statement also confirmed the pub site would not be used as “approved premises” and “would not be a bail hostel”.

Planning documents added there would be a “curfew in operation for [supported accommodation] residents between the hours 11pm to 7.30am, unless a special permission has been granted by support staff”.

In addition, it was noted that residents would “not be permitted to receive any visitors, unless by prior agreement with support staff and only during office hours”.

The design and access statement continues: “Changing Lives will manage any challenging behaviour and ensure that an individual’s support plan is in place, which will also address non-engagement with support to ensure appropriate outcomes.

“Changing Lives will work alongside the local and wider community delivering on the council’s social values to create a positive impact and ensure the smooth transition of the scheme into the locality.

“A specific point of contact will be made available to the public, to enable queries to be dealt with promptly by Changing Lives.”

Under planning conditions, the supported housing scheme must be brought forward within three years.

For more information on the planning application or council decision, visit Sunderland City Council’s planning portal website and search reference: 24/01435/FUL