A former city centre shop will be converted into mixed-use housing. 

The premises in Durham City formerly housed the Clintons Cards chain but has stood empty for some time. While fast food retailer Tortilla took over the premises next door the unit at 37 Silver Street has remained boarded up and unused. 

Now, plans to convert the lower ground floor area from a retail space into a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) have been approved. The upper floor area is currently used as student accommodation. 

A planning application by XTRAVAGANT LIMITED was approved at a Durham County Council planning committee on Tuesday. The developer said it will create a “high-quality, three-bedroom, four-person apartment”. It added: “This proposal aligns with local development needs and planning policies while making effective use of previously underutilised space.”

The premises in Durham City formerly housed the Clintons Cards chain but has stood empty for some timeThe premises in Durham City formerly housed the Clintons Cards chain but has stood empty for some time (Image: The Northern Echo)

The site will be accessed via the existing access at ground floor level from Silver Street. 

Speaking on the proposal, the City of Durham Parish Council said repuirposing the empty unit would improve the area.

Councillor Grenville Holland said: “In principle, the parish council supports this type of development because it helps to prevent the ongoing loss of vital family housing in the city. It also makes effective use of little-used rooms in the area where business rates are very high. Fundamentally, it makes commercial sense and we support it.”

However, the parish council raised concerns over bins being left out on Silver Street, saying the development would only increase the current issues. The applicant responded to say that the bins would be collected from the front by a private contractor which is the same arrangement for the upper floors and other sites within the area. 

Meanwhile, the City of Durham Trust objected due to a lack of provided information and said it failed to meet several planning policies. 

“The City of Durham Trust objects to this planning application because it fails County Durham Plan policies, particularly with regard to the Nationally Prescribed Space Standard, and also fails to provide the information necessary for reliable assessments to be made,” a statement read. 

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The trust added: “The City of Durham Trust considers this to be a confused and inadequate application with vital omissions.”

Cllr Holland also questioned the safety of the new site due to its size. He added:  “It seems that far too often, for the sake of convenience, the basic tenant is set aside.”

Despite the concerns, the planning application was approved by the planning committee. Work on the site is expected to start in due course.