Change to housing plan or former club site

South Tyneside Council’s planning committee approved proposals for a 48-unit apartment block on the site of the former Tunnel ex-servicemen’s club on North Street, Jarrow, last year.

The development saw the demolition of existing buildings to make way for the one and two-bedroom properties plus parking and landscaping.

However, the designs have come back before council officials as the number of flats decreased.

The application asked: “To allow minor alterations to the apartment block building, including a reduction in the number of housing units from 48 to 47.”

The committee gave the go-ahead to the borough’s new independent housing company, South Tyneside Housing Ventures Trust, which is working in partnership with construction firm Galliford Try Partnerships North.

Brian Scott, company secretary of the trust, said: “These properties have been designed to incorporate the latest best practice for older people’s housing and will be ‘care ready’; enabling tenants to maintain their independence in their own home if their needs change.

“The trust was established to build affordable housing in the borough and we are already well on track to achieving our vision of delivering 400 new homes in our first five years.”

The development will be benefit from approximately £1m grant funding from the Homes and Communities Agency (HGA).

Stephen McCoy, managing director with Galliford Try Partnerships North, added: “We are delighted to be working with the trust to bring forward a scheme which will be part-funded from the £11.5million we secured through the HGA’s Affordable Homes Programme.

“Developments of this type are forming an ever-increasing proportion of our work across the region and we believe it will improve the quality and choice of housing available for people in South Tyneside.”