Washington B&M store set to move into larger new home

Plans have been approved for a raft of works to the former Homebase store at Washington Retail Park.

This includes permission for retail use with up to 330 square metres of floor space for the sale of food goods.

The plans, from Peel Land and Property Investments PLC, which owns and manage the retail park off Sunderland Highway, have been been approved from Sunderland City Council’s planning department.

B&M is relocating from a nearby unit in the Peel Centre due to its “operational requirement for additional floorspace.”

A raft of works, alterations to the unit and changes to the site layout are also planned to make the former Homebase site ready for the new tenant.

This includes new cladding, reducing car parking spaces from 266 to 262, new trolley bays, removing the existing covered entrance, moving fire doors and new roller shutters.

A planning report goes on to say: “It is considered that the application proposal now under consideration will also make a positive contribution to the Peel Centre by improving the visual amenity of the remaining building and complementing the recent work undertaken.

“As with the 2017 approval the proposed scheme will provide for a good quality form of development, one that will visually enhance the existing, dated unit and will ensure its design and appearance are consistent with the wider retail park.”

Sunderland City Council approved the proposals on Thursday, April 9 and work is expected to take place in coming years.

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