Proximity to Crown Works could mean new Sunderland coffee shop will be place to spot celebrities in the future

Sunderland City Council’s Planning and Highways Committee, at a meeting this week, gave the green light to an application for land at Deptford Terrace near the Queen Alexandra Bridge in the Millfield ward.

The multi-million pound vision from Jomast Developments Ltd, submitted to the council back in 2022, aimed to create hundreds of jobs on a site which has sat vacant for more than a decade.

Proposed plans include six industrial and warehousing units suitable for general industrial use or storage and distribution, as well as seven trade warehouses with ancillary trade counters or light industrial units.

A drive thru coffee shop is also planned, as well as an electric vehicle (EV) charging hub with a retail kiosk and associated access, parking, servicing and landscaping works.

The electric vehicle charging station would provide 26 spaces, including 10 ultra rapid EV chargers and around 351 parking spaces, including accessible spaces, would be provided across the site.

Original plans submitted in 2022 included reference to a large foodstore, other food and drink facilities and a petrol filling station, however, these elements were removed by the applicant during the planning application process.

A council report said the move followed discussions with council officers over the “acceptability of the proportion of the proposed development including non-employment uses” under planning policies and the “acceptability of the proposed development including a hot food takeaway drive thru facility”.

The final scheme, according to planning documents, includes 95 per cent of floorspace being for 'employment uses' and five per cent of floorspace being for 'non-employment uses'.

After being put to the vote at a crunch meeting on Monday, the plans won unanimous support from members of the Planning and Highways Committee.

Council planning officers, who had recommended the scheme for approval, said it would have “no unacceptable impacts on the vitality and viability of, and investment in, nearby town, district and local centres", subject to conditions linked to the proposed retail kiosk and coffee shop drive thru.

One condition aimed to "ensure that the employment development is practically complete and made available for use prior to the commencement of any development associated with the drive thru coffee shop".

Conditions were also recommended to "ensure that proposed units could not change to other non-employment uses and to control the proportion of each unit that can be used as a trade counter.”

Several councillors on the Planning and Highways Committee spoke in support of the regeneration scheme at Monday's planning meeting.

Councillor Andrew Wood said: "As a councillor for Millfield I'm very much looking forward to this development working, as others have not.

"This land has been derelict for a long time and it would be great to see it being used for businesses, not only for investment for companies in the city to grow, but for bringing other companies into the city for the first time."

Councillor Martyn Herron added: "I note the proximity of this development to the Crown Works [film studio] site and I do wonder if the coffee shop might become the place to be to spot celebrities in the future."

A previous outline planning application for a range of uses on the site, including offices, homes, leisure and retail uses, was approved by councillors in October, 2013, however a section 106 agreement between developers and the council was not subsequently signed, meaning planning permission was not formally granted.

A planning statement submitted with new plans for the site said "previous historic planning applications have failed to deliver economic development" but that the land now "benefits from excellent connectivity" due to the Sunderland Strategic Transport Corridor.

At Monday's planning meeting, a planning consultant speaking on behalf of the applicant said the scheme would secure inward investment into Sunderland and revive a "substantial" area of disused brownfield land, while also delivering around 325 new jobs in a key employment area.

A council report added the applicant is “in discussion with a number of potential occupiers, with a view to occupying the new floorspace within the proposed development."

This week's planning approval is subject to a legal agreement to allow the council to secure a financial contribution from the applicant, listed in a council report as Jomast Developments Ltd and Cowie Properties LLP.

This aims to secure a £207,000 financial contribution for "the purpose of the management of Hendon Local Wildlife Site, or an alternative site as appropriate, to ensure that Biodiversity Net Gain habitat enhancements and compensation can be secured and delivered."

For more information on the regeneration scheme, or to track its progress, visit Sunderland City Council’s planning portal website and search reference: 22/01123/FU4