Sunderland development bosses need clarity on business's plan for 189 containers near Queen Alexandra Bridge
Plans for a large self-storage development on Wearside have been submitted to council development bosses.
Sunderland City Council’s planning department has received an application for the address 2 Haswell Court in the city’s Southwick ward.
Plans identify the site as a parcel of land at the corner of Quay West Riverside Business Village, which sits directly adjacent to the Queen Alexandra Bridge.
New plans are seeking permission for the “siting of 189 self-storage containers for commercial and domestic purposes.”
A site plan for the site shows the storage containers arranged over a “ground level” and “upper level”, with access to the site taken via Haswell Court and floor plans showing accessible parking spaces.
Meanwhile, the submitted planning application states the last use of the site was “vehicular storage”, that the site is currently vacant and that the proposed self-storage development has not started on the site.
The planning application adds the development would include five parking spaces but does not provide details around employment or hours of opening.
A decision on the planning application is expected following a council consultation exercise.
The council’s planning policy team, in a consultation statement, said the proposal would “involve the development of an employment use on allocated employment land” and that the “principle of the proposal is considered acceptable”.
However, it was noted that the “design, amenity, biodiversity and highways impact [of the development] should be considered.”
The council’s highways department, in a consultation statement, requested a revised site plan “demonstrating the provision of 11 onsite parking bays, including appropriate dimensions and layout”.
Council officers have also requested a “swept path analysis for the largest vehicle expected to access the site, demonstrating safe access, internal manoeuvring, and egress without encroachment onto the public highway or conflict with parking spaces or site infrastructure.”
Sunderland City Council’s planning portal website lists a decision deadline for the scheme as February 12, 2026.
For more information on the plan, or to track its progress, visit the council’s planning portal website and search reference: 25/02873/FUL
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