Seafront tram shelter is on track for development
The Victorian tram shelter in Seaburn is on track for development after a listed building application was submitted to seek approval on plans to give it new life.
The seafront landmark is one of three historic buildings being revamped as part of a £850,000 investment from Sunderland City Council and The Coastal Communities Fund and has been ear marked for transformation for some time, with plans a foot to create a new delicatessen that will be sympathetic to the history of the shelter, while creating an attractive addition to the seaside offer.
Now the team behind East Boldon’s award-winning Blacks Corner have submitted a listed building application outlining plans for the building, something they are required to do by the council given the shelter’s Grade II status.
The proposals will be considered in the coming weeks, with a decision expected to be made in early 2022, and if they’re given the green light, the team from Blacks Corner will begin work on restoring the building and will start work with the local community to understand how they can contribute to the plans for the important community asset,ensuring it becomes a real focal point and meeting place for residents of – and visitors to – Seaburn.
In their Listed Building application, the team at Blacks Corner - which champions local and home-grown British farm produce through its menu of cheese and charcuterie – have set out plans to undertake a series of sensitive restoration works to the fishscale roof; the cast-iron columns; rainwater goods; and the existing timber frames.
The plans will also enclose the tram shelter by replicating the details and proportions of the existing building, with plans including a delicatessen, an accessible W C, kitchen and servery counter.
Blacks Corner already operates a high-quality eatery and wine bar in South Tyne side, that is a cornerstone of the Boldon community.
The company was revealed as the preferred occupier of the Sea burn T ram Shelter earlier this year, after the council confirmed it planned to breathe new life into the building as part of a wider seaside regeneration scheme that will also see a former toilet block and bay shelter brought back into use.
Cllr Kevin Johnston, dynamic city cabinet member, said: “Our seaside is transforming, and we have to keep investing in it to deliver the vibrant destination residents and visitors want to see.
“Our heritage buildings are important parts of our seaside.
"And we want to preserve the best parts of them, but return them to a modern-day use that will ensure that Seaburn and Roker grow their reputation as attractive places to visit and enjoy.
“Blacks Corner has a deserved reputation for the quality of its offer, and anyone who has seen what they have achieved at Boldon will know that they really have a magnificent way of reinvigorating old buildings in a tasteful, sympathetic way, that protect sand preserves the integrity of the space but brings them right up to date.
“This was just one part of our decision to make them the preferred occupier for this building – because we absolutely know they will polish this underutilised gem and ensureits place as a central community hub, as it once was, is reclaimed.”