Riverside housing plan submitted

The plans show a mix of homes and apartments

Housing development plans for a site which has been awaiting regeneration for more than a decade have been officially submitted.

The scheme, in Sunderland, would see 165 rental homes built at Farringdon Row, next to the planned Riverside Park.

Developer Placefirst said the neighbourhood, overlooking the River Wear, would comprise 67 houses and 98 apartments, as well as a network of open spaces.

As part of a formal council consultation, members of the public can comment on the plans and a decision is expected from the local authority by the end of the year.

The proposal includes a mix of one and two-bedroom apartments, along with two and three-bedroom houses, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

'Security' for renters

A planning statement submitted to council officials said the area "historically formed part of the Sunderland Power Station site", but had been disused since the facility's closure in the late 1970s and subsequent demolition.

It was also noted Farringdon Row "forms part of a wider riverside area that was historically the industrial hub of the city, but has been in decline since the closure of the shipyards".

A cliff-top walkway is proposed around the eastern edge of the site facing towards the river and Wearmouth Bridge.

The planning statement notes that as the development is a "build-to-rent" (BTR) scheme, it would "provide high-quality family homes for long-term occupancy, giving security to those who may otherwise struggle to buy a property".

Each house would have one parking space, with visitor bays also provided.

Seventy spaces within the newly constructed Riverside multi-storey car park will be allocated to serve occupants of the apartments "should they wish to apply".

Graeme Mill, head of design at Placefirst, said the plans followed a "highly collaborative consultation process with the local community and Sunderland City Council".