A seafront food and drink venue has won planning permission to continue as a ‘drinking establishment’ following a decision by city councillors.

Grandpa Dickie’s Shed at Marine Walk was in the spotlight this week as part of a Planning and Highways Committee meeting at City Hall.

The Roker venue, which opened last year, is housed in the second phase of Pier Point and is one of the largest bars on the development.

According to a planning report presented to councillors on Monday (July 29), an allegation was previously made to the council that the property was “operating outside of the [previously] approved planning permission”.

Following investigations, the applicant was approached by the council’s planning compliance team and a planning application was subsequently submitted, planning documents state.

The application sought permission for a change of use from a “restaurant to mixed-use restaurant / café / drinking establishment (retrospective)”.

During a council consultation exercise on the plans last year there were five objections, including from a representative for leaseholders at several residential properties at Pier Point.

Concerns summarised in a council report included people drinking alcohol outside the venue, loss of privacy, road safety, increased litter, and the plans representing “encroachment” and “over-development”.

One objector said that “since the opening of additional pubs, the area along Marine Walk, particularly Pier Point, has deteriorated for residents, visitors and some businesses”.

Another comment said plans were “going against the council conservation regeneration focus altogether and legitimising the rowdy noisy behaviour and deterioration of the area”.

One objector also called for the plans to be refused to “avoid the area becoming a weekend pub crawl”.

Council planning officers, in a report prepared ahead of a decision-making Planning and Highways Committee, recommended the planning application for approval.

Council planners said the proposed change of use would “contribute to the achievement of sustainable development from an economic, social and environmental perspective”.

In response to objectors’ concerns, the planning report said there were no highway safety issues, that an acceptable noise assessment had been provided by the applicant, and that the proposed use would not be ‘out of character’ as there were other venues selling alcohol and food in the area.

It was also noted that the applicant was “applying to retain the restaurant use and add the drinking establishment which makes the use a mixed use which is sui generis, as there is not a use class that covers the use”.

The application was formally discussed by councillors at City Hall on Monday, July 29, and no objectors spoke against the plans at the meeting.

Council planning officers said the development was in operation as a restaurant / café and that the business had “chosen to add a bar feature in”, with a small bar area on each of the floors.

Councillors heard the applicant had made a retrospective planning application to “regularise the situation” around the “pub use”.

Adam Straughan, speaking for Grandpa Dickie’s Shed at the meeting, said the business had a “difficult start” due to a family bereavement only weeks after it opened, and that there was a period of time when the venue didn’t operate.

After “stepping up” with his wife to manage the premises,  Mr Straughan said the business “needed to adapt to be more flexible” and that “just offering food doesn’t really cut it, especially down on the seafront”.

Mr Straughan added: “We offer an expansive food menu […] but due to the [seafront] location we’ve had a lot of requests for just drinks.

“We’re not a vertical drinking establishment and all of our customers are seated.

“The hospitality industry is very difficult now since Covid, with many closures due to costs required.

“We’ve created new employment in the area and we have now 10 members of staff and we’re still recruiting, we have had no anti-social problems with the venue and how it has operated.

“Over questions about noise control, we do employ door staff when needed to make sure people are dispersed quietly and the area is well looked after.

“[The application] is a small alteration of [planning] class which has been recommended for approval by the planning department.

“But it will ensure that the business itself can operate and continue to operate”.

Councillor Martin Haswell quizzed the applicant on the specific measures in place to help reduce disturbance to neighbours.

Applicants said there was not a large concentration of customers leaving the venue at the same time but that all staff were trained on how to help customers leave quietly and that there were notices asking customers to respect neighbours.

In response to a question from councillor Michael Dixon, council planning officers also confirmed there had been no issues flagged with the council linked to the operation of the venue’s outdoor area.

After being put to the vote, the plans won unanimous support from members of the Planning and Highways Committee.

A number of planning conditions were added placing restrictions on the operating hours of the venue and the use of the site’s outdoor area.

Councillors were told that issues around the future operation of the venue would fall under the remit of the city council’s licensing department.

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However, council planners added any potential future noise issues from the venue could be investigated by the council’s environmental health team.

The planning application was referred to the Planning and Highways Committee for decision as the site sits within an area “identified by the council as being of strategic importance”.

For more information on the plans, visit Sunderland City Council’s planning portal website and search reference: 23/02023/FUL Caption: Grandpa Dickie’s Shed, Marine Walk, Sunderland Credit (LDRS)