Fresh housing plans approved on former Sunderland 'eyesore' service station site

Freshly approved housing plans are in store for a former service station site on Wearside. Sunderland City Council's planning department has given the green light to an application for the site along Ryhope Road, which has laid vacant for many years.

Past approvals for housing on this parcel of land have been granted yet never came to fruition. This includes a May 2020 authorised development of eight four-bedroom townhouses.

The site used to be the location for structures related to the old petrol station, which fell into ruin and was deemed an "eyesore" by local councillors.

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This led to the initiation of an enforcement action from Sunderland City Council towards cleaning up the site. The unattractive petrol station structures were subsequently taken down following an "improvement notice".

'Newcastle Car Wash Limited', the applicant, presented its 2023 plan for eight townhouses on this site, backed with rear parking spaces.

The design statement - which was submitted to council officials - emphasised that the plans carried similarities to previous housing applications, though supplemented with additional details pertaining to "construction management and site remediation".

The proposal comprises eight four-bedroom townhouses, complete with approximately 12 parking bays and associated gardens.

The proposals for vehicular access points were submitted in an attempt to "minimise any disruption and maintain highway safety" within the development.

These included access points from Westholme Terrace and an unnamed access road to the rear of the site.

The developers noted that some activity would take place on the site before a final planning decision was made, but that this was "independent of the outcome of the main planning application and would not in itself require permission".

During the planning application process, the plans were amended, and some concerns were raised by council highways officers over on-site parking.

A public consultation exercise also saw one objection raising parking concerns and describing plans for eight dwellings as an "excessive and a gross overdevelopment of the site".

After considering the planning application and assessing it against planning policies, Sunderland City Council's planning department approved it on April 12, 2024, subject to conditions.

This included a management plan "showing the curtilage of each dwelling house and the allocation of the parking spaces to the rear of the site".

The decision on the plans has been welcomed by St Michael's ward councillor, Michael Dixon, who said there was "renewed optimism" for the site's future.

Cllr Dixon said: "The vast majority of residents who have been affected by it being vacant and an eyesore for so long live opposite on or behind Ryhope Road, their houses all situated within the ward I represent."

"There is a long history of previous applications on this site including proposals, at different times, for use as a car wash and tyre sales, when along with many residents I argued for refusal of planning permission."

"In addition, there was a past application for housing which was approved but unfortunately did not commence within the required time of three years."

"Add to that, more recently, various environmental issues, when we requested the council to take what was successful legal action over the neglected condition of the site and you have a long history of inactivity and disappointment."

Councillor Dixon added: "But, that, hopefully, is now all in the past."

"There is clear evidence for renewed optimism that, with this approval of planning permission for new houses, progress is at last being made that will benefit both those who live opposite and also work nearby."

The planning conditions stipulate that the housing development must be initiated within three years.

For more information regarding the plan or decision taken by the council, navigate to Sunderland City Council's planning portal website and run a search using reference: 23/02154/FUL.