Verdict delivered as developers try to turn Sunderland city centre offices into homes for eight people

Sunderland City Council’s planning department has approved an application for former offices at 44 Frederick Street, which sits on the junction with West Sunniside.

Plans from A&H Developments (NE) Ltd, submitted last year (2025), originally aimed to convert the building into a nine-bed student accommodation development.

A design, access and heritage statement submitted to council officials at the time said the property had been vacant for years and that new plans aimed to “meet established demand within the city centre of Sunderland”.

Applicants noted bedrooms would be provided across three floors, along with kitchenette and en-suite shower facilities, adding that the building was in the Sunniside Conservation Area and that new plans reflected planning policies seeking to “secure a mixed-use regeneration of the Sunniside area”.

It was also argued that the proposals would “provide investment into the city centre and improve a building that requires maintenance” and would “help sustain the building for the future in terms of usage and repair.”

Council planning documents describe the site as an “unlisted building within the Sunniside Conservation Area” which is “covered by an Article 4 Direction controlling external alterations”.

During the planning process, it was noted that the applicant’s agent submitted an amended plan reducing the number of bedrooms to eight and providing a “communal kitchen and space for occupants on the first floor.”

After considering the revised planning application, Sunderland City Council’s planning department approved it on February 23, 2026.

Council planners, in a decision report, said the proposal would “provide a diverse use available for students with no impact upon the character of the area due to there being no external alterations to the existing building”.

It was noted that the site was “located within close proximity [to] various university buildings and located within the city centre where there are good transport links”.

The council decision report adds: “The proposal would provide an acceptable level of amenity for the future occupants and it is considered that the principle of the development is acceptable.”

Comments from the council’s conservation team said “the change of use with no external changes would have no adverse impact on the conservation area or the setting of the adjacent listed terrace” and that “there are no concerns regarding the addition of the common room in place of a bedroom”.

On design and amenity matters, it was noted that the student accommodation scheme “does provide a good standard of amenity [for] future occupants with a window serving each room and communal space”.

The application was also described in planning documents as “eight en-suite bedrooms with cooking facilities”, with “occupiers of these rooms having access to a shared communal room/kitchen”.

Due to the number of bedrooms proposed a licence for a house in multiple occupation (HMO) is required, which would be addressed separately under the council’s licensing process, according to council planning documents.

On highway safety and parking matters, the council’s future transport team commented that the “development is within the S2 City Centre parking zone, whereby parking can be relaxed” and that “the proposed site has good links to public transport”.

The council decision report adds: “In addressing the principle of the development, officers consider that the redevelopment of a vacant building for student accommodation would encourage footfall to the area, assist in creating a high-quality physical environment and contribute notably to the vibrancy and character of the city area.”

For more information on the plan and council decision, visit Sunderland City Council’s planning portal website and search reference: 25/01679/FUL