Decision delayed on whether to demolish the fire-damaged Whitburn Lodge

Members of South Tyneside Council’s Planning Committee were due to decide on the future of the former Whitburn Lodge, off Mill Lane (A183), in the Whitburn area when they met on Monday, February 12.

Since closing its doors in 2012 the derelict pub site has been the target of break-ins and deliberate fires, including a blaze on New Year’s Day 2023 which destroyed large sections of the roof and caused extensive damage inside.

Last year national housebuilder Lovell Partnerships announced it had bought the building and associated land, and soon after they submitted plans to build 32 homes at the site.

At the start of Monday’s planning committee meeting, where the proposals were due to be discussed, councillor Doreen Purvis, committee chair, explained how the application had been “withdrawn from the agenda and will now be determined at a later date”.

Speaking later in the meeting, council officers outlined how this was due to an “administrative issue” and they will look at when they can bring the application back before councillors for a decision.

Cllr Purvis also raised the proposition of having a “special planning committee to discuss the Whitburn Lodge development” if required. 

Proposals for the site would deliver 24 homes for private sale and eight properties classed as “affordable housing units”.

The housing mix would include four two-bedroom homes, 22 three-bedroom homes and six four-bedroom homes, along with a mix of private and visitor parking.

The existing vehicular access off Mill Lane at the eastern side of the development would be expected to be widened, as well as multiple pedestrian access points being created.

During a council consultation exercise on the plan, there had been a number of objections, including a petition with 92 signatures.

According to a council report, the petition states the majority of housing proposed in the scheme is “executive” and that there is “sufficient housing of this type in Whitburn Village”.

It was noted that “the infrastructure is not in place to support this development” around GP and dentist appointments, traffic and sewerage, which was described by another objector as being “at breaking point”.

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Concerns were also raised about the loss of the former pub building.

However, a planning officer report prepared ahead of the meeting had recommended the housing plans for approval.

The council report noted that the application will “contribute to maximising the re-use of previously developed land in a built-up area and would contribute to the objective of delivering sustainable development”.

It added: “It is considered that on balance, it can be demonstrated that the proposal provides long-term benefits.

“The proposed development of the site would contribute to the borough’s overall housing requirements, where the council has failed the housing delivery test and is unable to demonstrate a five-year housing land supply.”

In recent months, neighbours have called for the pub to be demolished, with a petition demanding action from South Tyneside Council.

Lovell Partnerships previously said the development aims to ‘create a new community and enhance connectivity towards the coastline’.