Decision date for new stores
Plans to transform the former Houghton Colliery site into a shopping hub could be given the stamp of approval next week.
Back in 2019, Sunderland City Council’s ruling cabinet agreed to dispose of land off Newbottle Street to progress a major regeneration scheme in the Houghton ward.
The multi-million-pound development is expected to revive the former colliery site while creating scores of retail and construction jobs.
Nextweek,SunderlandCity Council’s Planning and Highways (West) Committee will discuss the scheme, which has been recommended for approval by planning officers.
The site includes an area of around 4.4 hectares near Houghton town centre and occupiers have already been announcedfortheretailunits.
This includes a Tesco food storewith4,218squaremetres gross floor space, a Home Bargains store with 1,860 square metres gross floor space and a filling station.
The proposed petrol station and jet wash would be operatedbyTesco,withthewider site offering car parking spaces, accessible spaces, parent and child spaces, cycle facilities and nine electric vehicle charging points.
A new area of public open space is also planned at the south-eastern end of the former colliery site, to act as an” interface” between the proposed development and Houghton town centre.
Houghton Colliery closed in the early 1980s and the site was subsequently grassed and plantedoverandhasremained undeveloped since.
Planners state that the proposed commercial development on the land would help to “complement and extend Houghton-le-Spring town centre.”
Accordingtoplanningdocuments,theplanswouldcreate around 100 jobs and ‘spin-off ’ employmenttolocalbusinesses, others in the supply chain andconstructionemployment during building works.
Aplanningreportprepared for councillors reads: “The sequentialassessmentandretail impact assessment submitted with the planning application havebeencarefullyconsidered by the council […] and it can be concluded that there is no sequentially preferable site for the development and that the proposalswillnothaveasignificant adverse impact on the vitalityandviabilityofHoughton town centre, or any other local centres in the Coalfields.
“Indeed, given the anticipated clawback of expenditure which currently leaks from the Coalfields, it is considered that the development is likely to result in benefits to the town centre in terms of increasing expenditure and creating linked trips to existing businesses.”
The planning application originally proposed a development with a discount food store, a terrace of large-format retail units, a drive-thru restaurant and small retail units.
However, at the request of applicantHellensLandLtd,the development was amended to accommodate two large units and a petrol filling station.
Key matters linked to the new proposals, such as highway safety and ecology, will be discussed by the Planning and Highways (West) Committee next week.
Councillors on the panel will meet in Sunderland Civic Centre’s council chamber on Tuesday. The meeting starts at 5.30pm and is open to the public.
Visit Sunderland City Council’s planning portal and search reference: 20/01591/ FU4