Plans to convert a Sunderland shop site into ‘bedsits’ are due to go before councillors for decision this month.

Sunderland City Council’s Planning and Highways Committee will consider plans for the Chester News site at 129 Chester Road, near the Chesters pub.

According to planning documents, the ground floor commercial space is vacant and the first floor is a residential flat with a kitchen area located in part of the ground floor.

Initial plans submitted to council officials aimed to change the use of the ground floor of the property to three ‘bedsits’, each with en-suite bathroom facilities.

However, council planning documents confirm that due to the “lack of communal space”, applicants were informed the proposal would be recommended for refusal as it would “provide an inadequate level of residential amenity for future occupiers”.

Amended plans were submitted in August 2024, reducing the number of bedsits from three to two and providing a kitchen/lounge area and separate toilet and shower room.

In addition, proposed works include external alterations to “replace the shopfront with domestic-style double-glazed windows and a domestic entrance door”.

Planning applications of this type are normally decided by council officers under ‘delegated powers’.

However, the application was referred to the council’s Planning and Highways Committee by Barnes ward councillor Ehthesham Haque, which means it will be decided by councillors at a public meeting.

Sunderland City Council’s planning department, in a report published ahead of the decision-making meeting, has recommended the planning application for approval.

Any approval would be on the condition that the applicant makes a financial contribution towards coastal ecology mitigation, helping to “address likely significant effects on European sites, arising from recreational impacts generated by new residential development”.

The committee report adds: “The principle of changing the ground floor to a HMO (house in multiple occupation) is acceptable.

“The amended proposal would cause no harm to the visual amenity of the street scene or host property, and is unlikely to cause significant harm to the amenity of existing residential occupiers in the locality given the prevailing mix of residential and commercial accommodation in the area.

“The prospective occupiers are also considered to be afforded an adequate level of amenity whilst the proposal would not be considered to impact negatively on highway or pedestrian safety or ecology, subject to the receipt of the coastal mitigation strategy contribution.”

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Sunderland City Council’s Planning and Highways Committee will consider the plans at their next meeting on October 21, 2024, at City Hall.

The meeting is scheduled to start at 5.30pm and will be open to the public.

For more information on the planning application or to track its progress, visit the council’s planning portal website and search reference: 24/00480/FUL