Sunderland B&M site in Southwick to close under care development plans

Sunderland City Council’s planning department has received an application for the B&M store at The Green in Southwick.

Early proposals to demolish the “more modern” part of the B&M site at the rear of Southwick’s high street were first revealed by developers last year.

This included proposals for an extra care facility, a type of development which provides independent living with access to care if needed.

New plans submitted to council officials are seeking outline planning permission for the demolition of the majority of the retail store and the erection of up to 55 residential units.

According to the planning listing, this would include a new building with up to 47 “assisted living flats” with a mix of one-bedroom and two-bedroom units for “people in need of care”.

In addition, up to eight two-bedroom residential apartments are proposed for “independent living” aimed at those aged over 55, and would be independent of the extra care scheme.

Under the plans, the smaller commercial unit to the north of the site facing into The Green in Southwick would also be “retained” for “commercial use”.

The planning application from Ropley Properties Limited has been submitted with supporting documents providing more details on the current site and the proposed extra care scheme.

A design and access statement notes the “existing store front on the high street” would be “preserved and changed ownership”.

While there is no “end user” for the site, planning documents state, the “layout has been designed so a smaller convenience style shop could operate within the unit”.

Those behind the extra care scheme added the “proposed mix of [residential] units is very much needed in this location” and that there would be “a mix of communal open space outside the entrance and also on the roof terraces”.

The existing car park is also proposed to remain with an upgraded layout to provide car parking spaces to the west of the site, along with visitor bays to the east of the apartment block.

The design and access statement adds: “The new access is off Stoney Lane and has been proposed as entry only with a one-way system through the site, exiting to the north east behind the existing commercial units.

“This will allow the safe flow of traffic and has been designed to allow a delivery vehicle to navigate effectively to the rear of the existing commercial units.

“The new apartment block has been designed in varying heights and mixed materials to reduce the impact of the built form on existing properties.

“Green roof terraces have been proposed to create outdoor space and views over the River Wear which will promote health and well-being for the residents”.

As an outline planning application, permission is being sought for the access, layout and scale of the extra care development, with appearance and landscaping being “reserved” until a later date.

A planning statement from applicants noted the proposals have been “submitted in outline form to allow for the future operator to have a degree of flexibility and choice with the final detailed design and landscaping”.

The planning statement confirmed the development would “see the closure of the B&M unit” and that there had been “objection to the loss of the B&M retail unit from local residents as part of the [community] consultation exercise”.

However, it was noted that retail units were not classed as a “community facility” under planning policies and that the “policy test is whether or not the vitality and viability of the district centre is maintained and enhanced”.

The planning statement added the extra care scheme would benefit the area through “physical regeneration, provision of a modern commercial unit and a significant increase in resident population ‘on the ground’ who would use the other local services and facilities in the centre”.

It was also noted that the existing B&M building is of “poor design” and that new plans “present an opportunity to enhance the character of the site”.

A decision on the outline planning application will be made once a period of council consultation has concluded.

Sunderland City Council’s planning portal website lists a decision deadline of September 5, 2024.

For more information on the planning application or to track its progress, visit the council’s planning portal website and search reference: 24/01111/OUT