Plans approved for expansion of Ocean Road Community Association in South Shields - this is how it could look

Major plans to improve facilities at a South Shields-based community centre have been given the stamp of approval by council development chiefs.

South Tyneside Council’s planning department has given the green light to an application to redevelop the base of the Ocean Road Community Association.

The application, submitted earlier this year, proposed building a new two-storey side extension into an adjoining car park area, as well as works to the existing community centre building.

This aimed to create several new features, from a larger café area, improved kitchen area and new meeting and youth spaces on the ground floor to a sports hall on the first floor.

In total, the extension proposed the creation of 813 square metres in additional floor area over two floors.

Plans were submitted to local authority officials with a design and access statement prepared by Mario Minchella Architects, which provided details of the development and proposed benefits.

This included expanding the "oversubscribed" café seating area, as well as expanding the centre's kitchen "in line with additional café demand and coverage".

The design and access statement added several rooms would be assigned as “youth counselling and education suites”, with users also benefiting from an open plan multi-use sports hall.

During consultation on the plans two letters of objection were received from one address on Pollard Street about the scheme’s potential negative impacts.

Concerns included the impact of increased traffic and the loss of the community centre's car park, with fears centre users would park on “already congested streets”.

One letter of support was also submitted from a resident of Vespasian Street stating the plans would be a “great asset to the community and the town centre as a whole”.

After considering the planning application and assessing it against planning policies, South Tyneside Council’s planning department approved it on May 26, 2023.

Council planning officers, in a decision report, welcomed the designs and noted the proposals would “provide an improvement in social facilities for the benefit of local communities”.

Despite the development leading to a loss of parking, council highways officers deemed the extension scheme acceptable.

This was due to the “scale and location of the development", cycle parking being provided and the "imposition of conditions relating to the completion of highway works prior to the development being brought into use".

On parking issues, those behind the development previously said the community centre was in a sustainable location, close to public transport facilities and other available free parking.

Council planners, after considering the development's location and the findings of a submitted transport survey, concluded there would not be a "significant overspill problem to this area".

The original community centre building is understood to have been established in 1984 with further plans granted to extend the site in 1999.

Under planning conditions, the new extension works must be brought forward within three years.

For more information on the community centre plan and council decision, visit South Tyneside Council’s online planning portal and search reference: ST/0236/23/FUL