Makeover for Cleadon's Britannia Inn Toby Carvery to tidy up pub site and boost safety and appearance
Major plans to redevelop a village pub site have been submitted to council development bosses.
South Tyneside Council’s planning department has received an application for The Britannia Inn in Cleadon Village.
The pub site sits off Shields Road, has a large car park and outdoor area and is also home to Toby Carvery.
New plans are seeking permission for “site refurbishment” works including “minor landscaping/ ground works” and new decorations, signage and lighting.
This includes “full re-decorations” to “all joinery elements” and the majority of the existing floodlights on the building’s facade being removed to make way for new LED floodlight fittings installed in “more appropriate areas to improve general lighting around [the] building and aesthetics”.
New “up/down ‘wallwasher’ lights” are proposed “along the public-facing facades to improve security, wayfinding and aesthetics from the car park and road”, along with a post with “decorative festoon lights […] to be fixed in ground to the inside boundary of the side garden”.
New “twinkle lights” are also set to be “added to the large tree” on site, along with “floodlights around the base of tree to help lighting in garden area and improve aesthetics and improve vision of the site” and “twin floodlight metal poles fixed along the front boundary of [the] car park to give the car park better lighting and improve safety”.
In addition, there are proposals to extend a yard area with a “walk-in freezer and fence” and proposals to “adapt hardstanding surfaces with concrete floor.”
Details of the redevelopment are outlined in a design, access and heritage statement, which describes the Britannia Inn as a “prominent building in Cleadon Village”.
It was noted that the “current building dates back to 1894” and replaced an older 17th-century building ‘Matthew House’ and although the current site is not listed, it sits within a conservation area.
Those behind the scheme said the building has “undergone many alterations throughout its history and is in need of a general uplift to make better use of the space, tidy up the site and prolong its use”.
It was noted that the “proposed works relate primarily to cosmetic issues and the removal of some of the modern additions from previous refurbishments and the addition of new ones”.
Applicants said that “the primary heritage features of the building and the overall scale and situation of the building will remain unaltered by these proposals” and that “the impact of these alterations is relatively minimal and will only improve the aesthetics of site and not impact any surrounding heritage”.
The design, access and heritage statement adds: “Proposed external works are to be in keeping with the character and scale of the surrounding architecture.
“The site has not been overdeveloped and would not deprive neighbouring properties and residents of light, privacy or raise security/noise issues.
“The proposals will not have a detrimental effect on the existing roads, sewers or public services.
“The submitted proposals do not overdevelop the existing site [and] it is considered that proposals of this small scale would be appropriate in the context of the area.”
Supporting planning documents state that “existing retained and new light fittings that are installed within the premises will be fitted with more energy efficient fittings”.
It was also noted that “all existing customer vehicle access into the site, parking arrangements, deliveries, refuse collections and public transport links will remain unaffected by the proposals”.
The design, access and heritage statement adds: “The proposal offers continued economic viability to the building and will provide substantialbenefits for the area, in terms of economic growth and the contribution to the local amenity and street scene.
“The designs will ensure the preservation and improvement of all biodiversity features.”
A decision on the planning application is expected following a council consultation exercise.
For more information on the plan, or to track its progress, visit South Tyneside Council’s planning portal website and search reference: 250334