Sunderland City Council Proposes Major Transformation of High Street West with Mixed-Use Development

Sunderland City Council has submitted an outline planning application to transform a significant stretch of High Street West, a crucial part of the Riverside Sunderland regeneration program. The proposal aims to create a mixed-use development including retail, commercial, leisure, and residential facilities, which will strengthen the local economy and improve the city centre's lifestyle provision. The development will encompass four plots, including the current Sports Direct store and neighbouring Dicksons unit, the former Marks & Spencer store, and the demolished site of the previous Argos and Mothercare store.

Key Takeaways:

• The Sunderland City Council has submitted an outline planning application for a mixed-use development at 56-90 High Street West, which includes retail, commercial, leisure, and residential facilities.
• The development will encompass four plots, including the current Sports Direct store and neighbouring Dicksons unit, the former Marks & Spencer store, and the demolished site of the previous Argos and Mothercare store.
• The proposals suggest new structures with adaptability in mind, with upper levels capable of housing either commercial office space or premium flats to increase the city centre population.
• The council has stated that active ground floor space will ensure the high street continues to draw in shoppers and visitors.
• The plans also propose the removal of the enclosed footbridge, which currently links High Street West with St Mary's Multi-Storey Car Park, as part of a suite of public realm enhancements aiming to "restore historic connections and enhance pedestrian access to the former Vaux site."
• The council is seeking approval for the principle of mixed-use development across the High Street West plots, with the final details of design, scale, and appearance of each site expected to be determined in future through the "reserved matters" application process.
• The exact amount of floorspace for each proposed use is not fixed, allowing the development to "respond and evoke to market demand", according to a council planning statement.
• The closing of M&S and the destiny of the building has been a controversial matter in Sunderland, with the Sunderland Conservatives previously submitting a proposal to Historic England in a bid to grant the site listed status, however this proposal was unsuccessful.
• The council's design and access statement for High Street West submitted this month highlights the destiny of the Marks & Spencer site, which is a 'non-designated heritage asset', and notes that the site will be subject to a viability appraisal at the detailed design stage.
• If "the situation arises whereby it is not feasible nor structurally possible to retain the Marks & Spencer façade", the council planning statement notes, the "public benefits associated with the proposed development, namely the reinvigoration of the high street through the delivery of new retail, commercial and residential development, would clearly outweigh the harm in relation to this loss."

Statistics:

• The development will encompass four plots, including the current Sports Direct store and neighbouring Dicksons unit, the former Marks & Spencer store, and the demolished site of the previous Argos and Mothercare store.
• The exact amount of floorspace for each proposed use is not fixed, allowing the development to "respond and evoke to market demand".
• The council is seeking approval for the principle of mixed-use development across the High Street West plots.
• The public benefits associated with the proposed development are expected to outweigh the harm in relation to the loss of the Marks & Spencer facade.

Sources:

• Sunderland City Council
• Local Democracy Reporter
• ChronicleLive