Plans to turn former charity building into flats

The plan is for the flats to replace what were once offices for the charity Barnardo's

Plans for flats to replace a charity's former office have been submitted.

Sundridge Park Properties Ltd want to change the use of the upper floors of a building on Stockton Road in Sunderland to turn the space into apartments.

The large building near Park Lane Interchange was once occupied by charity Barnardo's and the building's ground floor is now occupied by an estate agent.

Proposals include four apartments in total across the first and second floor offices, which are currently vacant.

Documents submitted as part of the application state that the ground floor would remain in commercial use as an estate agent, the Local Democracy Reporting Service reports.

The plans show there would be a two-bedroom flat and a one-bedroom flat on the first floor and two two-bedroom flats on the second.

A design and access statement submitted with the plans adds: "The existing access arrangements to the first-floor flats will be retained and unaltered.

"A new roller shutter door access will be created within the single-storey building to back lane off Olive Street for the refuse and cycle storage."

A decision on the planning application will be made once a period of council consultation has concluded.

Sunderland City Council’s planning portal website lists a decision deadline of 8 August.