Plans approved to convert South Shields church centre into apartments

South Tyneside Council’s Planning Committee, at a meeting this week (May 20), approved an application for the St Paul and St John’s Church Centre, off Broughton Road, near South Shields Town Hall.

The application from applicant Beaumont & Partners Ltd, submitted last year, aimed to redevelop the existing church centre, maisonette and outbuilding to make way for apartments.

A total of 14 residential apartments and three ‘serviced apartments’ were proposed along with external works, including a rear extension, dormer windows and a loft conversion.

Plans were submitted with supporting documents which confirmed the development would have a bin compound and secure cycle storage.

Those behind the housing scheme also claimed it would make an “important contribution” to the housing market in South Shields and would bring several benefits.

This included “renovating and redeveloping a current vacant building on the edge of South Shields town centre to provide a mix of housing and accommodation in a highly sustainable location”.

It was also argued that the plans would prevent the building “falling into disrepair” as well as serviced apartments providing tourist and visitor accommodation “within a desired location”.

During a council consultation exercise the proposals sparked public opposition, with dozens of objections raising concerns ranging from parking pressures and impacts on residential amenity, to privacy fears and the use of serviced apartments by “short-term visitors”.

Councillor David Francis, Beacon and Bents ward councillor, also raised concerns about “lack of parking and related safety concerns” and the plans having an “adverse effect on residential amenity / character of the area”.

Although the proposed apartment scheme was not technically classed as a house in multiple occupation (HMO), concerns were also raised about the “overconcentration” of this type of accommodation in the area.

During the planning application process, the apartment proposals were amended to reduce the size of the dormers and a stairwell extension, as well as adding “obscure glazing” to certain windows, plus doubling cycle storage spaces linked to the development.

South Tyneside Council’s Planning Committee considered the proposals at a meeting at South Shields Town Hall this week.

A committee report prepared by council officers recommended the scheme for approval and provided more details on the residential proposals.

The report clarified that 14 of the apartments would be “market housing for rent”, while the three serviced apartments would be “a form of tourist and visitor accommodation, which would be let on out on a short-term basis”.

In response to a question from councillor Geraldine Kilgour, council planners confirmed that the property could not be converted into a HMO without planning permission, as it sits within an area under an ‘article four direction’.

Councillor Sarah McKeown, a Beacon and Bents ward councillor, said she didn’t accept that Beacon and Bents “needs any more of this style of housing”.

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Cllr McKeown added: “It’s again a large number of small studio apartments squeezed into a small space […] and without due consideration to local residents, it’s practically on Beach Road.

“If you look at the living conditions as well it’s very small apartments and no parking isn’t great.

“It would be better serving the community as some kind of affordable apartments, or apartments for families”.

Councillor Shirley Ford also questioned whether the serviced apartments, in a back lane, were in a “suitable location”.

Council planners said there was a “degree of separation” between the apartments and serviced apartments and that the housing scheme was considered acceptable.

After being put to the vote, the plans were approved by South Tyneside Council’s Planning Committee by a majority of councillors present.

For more information on the planning application or council decision, visit South Tyneside Council’s planning portal website and search reference: ST/1009/22/FUL.