Online voices

STORY:

Here's more of your comments regarding our story about plans for flats for an ex-city centre jewellery shops. Sunderland City Council received an application for the former site of Herbert Brown jewellery retail shop, in Waterloo Place, earlier this year. The scheme seeks to transform the first and second floors of the retail unit into six apartments. However, concerns have been raised over the absence of a dedicated bin storage facility for the development, after the plans did not include areas to store and aid the collection of waste.

Darren Gray: Too many empty retail buildings, no rental income so the answer is turn them into flats, decline in high street stores, more online shopping, conclusion ghost town city centre. You need to drop your rates to get retailers into the city centre; Tesco gone because rates increase and many other stores gone too.

Paul Fisher: More people in flats equals more council tax for the council.

Michael Cavanagh: Paul Fisher, what will the labour council do with this extra money?

Gillian Mills: No no this is a joke, I know we are a uni town but what next Marksies turning into flats. What we need is a town centre and accessible housing for young adults who are disabled.

Liz Bogie Pratt: As if we need any more flats, get decent shops in town, we are rubbish for a town centre.

Elizabeth Rodgers: Just what the town centre needs.

Kay Harrison: I think someone at the council has an obsession with flats.

Carole Ann Mitchell: Yippee more flats just what we need.

Jacqueline Jollands: No!

Luke Stott: Pretty sure there's empty flats at the bottom of Chester Road.

Robert Ruttley: More flats, don't the council think there is enough in the city?

Kevin Clarke: More council tax!