Row over demolition plans for empty Sunderland Marks and Spencer building

A new political row has broken out over plans to demolish the abandoned Marks and Spencer in Sunderland city centre.

Questions have hung over the future of the High Street West building since the retailer announced in January 2024 it was closing the store.

The branch shut its doors for the final time in late May, with M&S trumpeting its improved and enlarged store at The Galleries Retail Park as its new offering for Wearside.

Sunderland City Council owns the empty city centre store, but the lease remains in the hands of M&S until March 2027, with the local authority previously stating its hands remained tied on the building until that date.

A row has now erupted after the council’s chief executive was quoted in the national media at the weekend on plans to demolish the building.

The article in The Observer on June 9 read: “Usually a Marks & Spencer closing down is a bad sign for a city centre’s prospects, but in Sunderland Melia says the council is planning to knock down the ageing building and replace it with the second phase of offices."

No date has yet been given for demolition.

The council had not previously specifically said that the building would be flattened, but insists its Riverside Sunderland delivery plan "includes explicit reference to a remodelled High Street West, including the replacement of this building with high quality offices and further retail".

In March, Conservative councillors said they had applied to Historic England to give the building listed status "to protect certain parts of the building from major architectural changes - such as the vintage art deco exterior - or from being knocked down".

After the comments by Mr Melia, Sunderland's Conservatives leader Cllr Antony Mullen said ‘nobody had been straight’ on the plans for the building - though the council disputes this.

Cllr Mullen also raised concerns about the empty store falling into disrepair as it sits empty, and the cost to taxpayers for the building.

"After months of speculation, the council has finally confirmed it intends to demolish the M&S building and replace it with offices,” he said.

"We need the council to be much more transparent about its plans for the city centre and to ensure that these plans will focus as much on delivering a strong retail offer for residents as on creating workspaces for businesses."

Cllr Michael Mordey, Labour leader of Sunderland City Council, has hit back saying: “The insinuation that the council has been anything other than totally transparent about its plans for High Street West – including proposals to make some structural changes that will better connect the heart of the city to the transforming Riverside Sunderland – is categorically untrue and, frankly, this smacks of political desperation from a party devoid of ideas.

“The Riverside Sunderland delivery plan – which has been extensively communicated on a local, regional and national level – includes explicit reference to a remodelled High Street West, including the replacement of this building with high quality offices and further retail.

“No timescale on demolition of any buildings can be given at this time, but this will be communicated via the planning process in the usual way and be judged against the requirements of the Riverside Sunderland Supplementary Planning Document which is publicly available to the Conservative leader and sets out agreed parameters for development.

"In the meantime, M&S - not the council - have been, and will continue to be, responsible for the condition of the building until the end of their lease in 2027.”

The council has also bought the former Mothercare and Argos stores in High Street West as part of transformation plans.