Iconic old Burton building in Jarrow to be turned into flats
Plans for apartments at an iconic former retail building in Jarrow have been given the green light by council development chiefs.
South Tyneside Council’s planning department has approved an application for the former Burton building at 47-55 Ormonde Street.
Dating back to the 1920s, the building was once linked to Burton Menswear, one of Britain’s largest chains of clothes shops, and is locally listed by the borough council.
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Plans from property developers Consultation First Limited, submitted earlier this year, sought permission to change the use of the first floor from former retail / office space and to create five residential apartments.
A design and access statement submitted to council officials at the time said the building had been “vacant for several years and has badly fallen into a state of disrepair, becoming an eyesore on the local area”.
Developers added many old Burton buildings in the North East had been “crudely carved up and spoilt” but that Jarrow’s Burton building retains its “original black marble fascia” and “original ‘Montague Burton’ entrance mosaic”.
New plans aimed to “retain the retail element on the ground floor of the property” and to convert the first floor into “high-quality apartments for the private rental market”.
It was also noted that the property had been “stripped out following a major roof leak which caused considerable damage [which] required the roof to be replaced”.
Proposed first floor plans showed a mix of self-contained one-bedroom, one-person apartments and one-bedroom, two-person apartments, each with bathroom facilities and kitchen / living space.
A communal cycle/bin store is also expected to be provided, with 12 cycle spaces and space for eight communal bins.
After considering the planning application for apartments and assessing it against planning policies, South Tyneside Council’s planning department approved it on November 28, 2024.
Council planners, in a decision report, said the proposed change of use to apartments was acceptable and that the plans would “introduce a residential use to a building that is appropriately located within a primarily residential area, without adversely impacting upon the character of the area”.
It was also noted that the proposed layout of the apartments would “provide natural daylight to the habitable room windows for the flats to the benefit of any future occupants”.
The council decision report added: “No in-curtilage car parking spaces are being proposed as part of the development proposals.
“Occupiers of neighbouring properties through a representation received […] have raised concerns about the current car parking demand in the area and the impact of the proposed flats on the highway capacity of the surrounding area.
“Objection to this development has been raised due to there being no allocated parking for the proposed flats and concern that this will impact on the availability of on-street parking already used by others which will mean overspill onto the surrounding residential area that is already oversubscribed.
“The transport development officer (as local highway authority) has assessed the proposed development with regards to highway safety and parking and advised that no issues arise from the scheme.
“The application site is considered to be within a highly sustainable location, where there would be less reliance upon private cars.
“The premises are located in the Jarrow town centre which is well served by public transport, including many bus routes/stops and the Nexus Metro services.”
Plans to convert the ground floor of the former Burton building by dividing it to create three retail units were approved by South Tyneside Council’s planning department back in October, 2024 (Ref: ST/0374/24/FUL).
The approval of the separate apartment application for the first floor means permissions are now in place for the whole building to be given a new lease of life.
Under planning conditions, the development must be brought forward within three years.
For more information on the apartments plan and council decision, visit South Tyneside Council’s planning portal website and search reference: ST/0571/24/FUL