South Shields: Council decision on controversial bid to create flat with no parking above Fowler Street shop
Plans to convert space above a South Shields shop into a three-bedroom apartment have been given the green light by council development bosses.
South Tyneside Council’s planning department has approved an application for the North East Bed Centre premises at 113-115 Fowler Street.
An application form submitted to the council said the alterations aimed to provide a three-bedroom flat on the first floor with a rear ground floor access.
Meanwhile, submitted floor plans showed the proposed flat taking up a small part of the first floor space, with the majority of first floor space remaining as “shop storage” for the retail use.
Floor plans showed three bedrooms in the proposed flat, each with a toilet and shower room, as well as a communal kitchen and lounge room and no changes were planned to the front elevation of the property.
After considering the planning application, South Tyneside Council’s planning department approved it on June 27, 2025.
During a council consultation on the plans, some concerns were raised by the council’s transport development officer about the lack of parking proposed.
The transport development officer said there were concerns about “incremental development like this and the stealth cumulativeimpacts it will have long term on town centre and on-street car parking spaces in surrounding areas, which cannot be quantified”.
However, the council officer concluded that a “single dwelling at this location is unlikely at this time to impact negatively on available car parking spaces”.
Council planners, in a decision report, said the plans would not result in any “significant harm to the visual amenity of the area, the residential amenity of any neighbouring properties”.
The plans “providing an additional home in the South Shields area” were also welcomed, and the design of the scheme was said to “convey sensitive consideration to its surroundings having regard to its scale, proportion and use of materials.”
Council planners said that due to the “nature of the proposed change of use and given separation distances to nearest existing residential properties […] proposal would have no unacceptable impacts on the amenities of occupiers of any neighbouring residential properties, including in relation to noise”.
The council decision report adds: “[The site] is in a sustainable location within the built up area of South Shields, well served by public transport including the Metro.
“There are also numerous car parks located along Charlotte Street andon-street parking directly outside the premises. It is therefore considered that the proposal, despite no in curtilage car and cycle parking being provided, would not be harmful to highways safety or cause indiscriminate parking in the locality.”
For more information on the planning application, visit South Tyneside Council’s planning portal website and search reference: 250285