'Retirement apartments' plan for former special needs school site in Sunderland
Plans to build dozens of “retirement apartments” on the site of a former school have been put forward to Sunderland City Council’s planning department for consideration.
The council’s planning officials are pondering over a ‘screening opinion’ associated with the proposed development of 51 apartments in the Southwick ward.
Flanked by residential homes and abutting the Fulwell Quarry Nature Reserve and Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) to the north, the proposed site has strategic local importance.
Before developers can submit a full application for building permission, authorities will decide whether an environmental impact assessment is necessary based on the new proposals.
Thornbeck College’s former autism education centre, demolished in 2018, is slated to be repurposed for the “retirement apartments”.
The blueprint for the land off Sycamore Drive includes plans for a mixture of single and double-bedroom apartments, complete with a garden area and parking facilities featuring 20 spaces and accessibility options.
In documents submitted to the council, it was clarified that the main access to the property would come from Sycamore Drive, incorporating sufficient room for vehicle manoeuvring.
Proponents of the project claim that since the previous school had long stood empty and became a magnet for antisocial behaviour and vandalism, reuse of the site for retirement living could be beneficial.
They emphasised that presently, the disused plot hosts “grassland, trees and shrubs”, along with some remaining “areas of hardstanding”.
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The supporting statement further elaborates: “The [proposed] site includes extensive landscaping including tree planting, grassed areas, and a garden area for residents.”
“Measures to maximise energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions including a ‘fabric first approach’ has been incorporated into the proposed development which will be presented within an energy statement with the planning application”.
McCarthy Stone is listed as the applicant in the planning documents.
It was highlighted that a “landscape buffer and fencing” would be provided to “prevent direct access from the site onto the SSSI and nature reserve”.
The supporting statement also mentioned: “Given the proposed use as a retirement living development, the provision of seating and landscaping on the site and the proximity of other recreation areas in the vicinity, any effects associated with recreational pressure on the SSSI and nature reserve are not considered likely to be significant”.
A decision on the screening opinion is anticipated later this year.
For additional information, visit Sunderland City Council’s planning portal website and search reference: 24/01993/SCR.