Sunderland’s former flagship Marks and Spencer store could be demolished under council plans. 

It was a “dark day” for the city centre when the national retailer - which operated its store on High Street West for decades - brought down the shutters for good on May 25. 

Retail bosses cited “changing shopping habits” as the reason behind the controversial decision, which sparked a huge backlash and even an online petition to reverse the move. 

Now, just weeks after its closure, Sunderland City Council chief executive Patrick Melia has responded to reports that the council planned to reduce the building to rubble. 

Patrick Melia (Image: SUNDERLAND CITY COUNCIL)

Mr Melia - who was recently awarded an OBE in the King's Birthday Honours list - was quoted in The Observer saying that the authority was “planning to knock down the ageing building and replace it with the second phase of offices.” 

He recently confirmed to The Northern Echo that the Riverside Sunderland delivery plan includes “exciting proposals” for a remodelled High Street West including transforming the former M&S into “high-quality office accommodation and further retail.”

The masterplan - which will provide 1,000 homes and one million ft2 of commercial space - is hoped to reinvent the city centre and bring focus back to the River Wear. 

New infrastructure for the development includes a footbridge across the river to connect the former Vaux Brewery site with the Sheepfolds, providing improved links to the Stadium of Light.

M&S - which recently opened a new store at the Washington Galleries on May 30 - continues to be responsible for the building until the end of the chain’s lease in 2027. 

As previously reported in The Northern Echo, council bosses said there had been previous efforts to try and keep M&S in the city centre over the past five years, but to no avail. 

No timescale on the demolition of any other buildings on High Street West has been confirmed by council chiefs.

The news of the demolition has since sparked some outrage on social media, with one person labelling it as “disgraceful.”

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Mr Melia said: “The Riverside Sunderland delivery plan – which has been extensively communicated on a local, regional and national level – includes exciting proposals for a remodelled High Street West, including transforming this building into high-quality office accommodation 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.

"In the meantime, M&S will continue to be responsible for the building until the end of their lease in 2027.”