Demolition of eyesore former Whitburn Lodge pub that's a vandalism and arson target blocked

Members of South Tyneside Council’s Planning Committee, at a meeting this week (March 10, 2025), rejected plans for the former Whitburn Lodge site off Mill Lane in the Whitburn area.

Since closing its doors in 2012, the 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.

Later in 2023, national house-builder Lovell Partnerships announced it had secured the building and associated land, and soon after submitted plans to build 32 homes.

However, the planning application sparked several public objections, with concerns about sewerage capacity and increased traffic, and a petition was also launched calling for the site to be demolished.

At the same time, concerns were raised about the loss of the former pub building, which comprises the remains of Hope House dating from the 18th century, as well as concerns about impacts on the Green Belt.

The housing plans have seen several setbacks since first being listed for decision at the Planning Committee, from a deferral in February, 2024, because of an “administrative issue”, to a second deferral in March, 2024, following councillors’ concerns about sewage and water pollution.

After being narrowly approved by members of South Tyneside Council’s Planning Committee at a meeting on May 20, 2024, the plans were referred to the Secretary of State.

Councillors at the time were told the Government referral was required because of “the amount of floorspace proposed in the Green Belt”.

However, the Government decided not to ‘call in’ the application and in July, 2024, sent it back to South Tyneside Council for the local authority to make a decision, with the housing application being brought before the Planning Committee more than six months later.

Planning documents confirmed the plans had been brought back before councillors because of “material planning considerations” that had arisen, particularly around “foul drainage matters and changes to local and national planning policy concerning housing land supply/delivery and Green Belt matters”.

The planning considerations included documentation supplied by Whitburn Neighbourhood Forum concerning waste water discharges from the Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) at Whitburn Steel Sewage Pumping Station (SPS), as well as several key reports linked to Northumbrian Water.

One report was linked to regulator The Water Services Regulation Authority (Ofwat), which a council planning report summarised as “a proposal to issue an enforcement order and impose a financial penalty on Northumbrian Water in respect of CSO discharges”, with Ofwat’s “draft order including reference to alleged failings at Whitburn Steel SPS and Hendon Sewage Treatment Works”.

Another issue included a statement from the Office for Environmental Protection linked to an investigation into the sewerage system, as well as new national planning rules being brought in under a revised National Planning Policy Framework and changes “regarding housing land supply and delivery and development in the Green Belt.”

South Tyneside Council’s planning department continued to recommend the Whitburn Lodge site planning application for approval, and councillors met to discuss it on Monday (March 10, 2025) at South Shields Town Hall.

The meeting saw speeches from objectors Steve Lavelle, of Whitburn Neighbourhood Forum and campaigner Bob Latimer, who has campaigned for decades over issues around sewage discharges into the sea off the South Tyneside and Sunderland coast.

Objectors outlined arguments previously put forward when the application was discussed last year, including questioning Northumbrian Water data and challenging arguments that there is sufficient capacity in the wider sewerage system to accommodate new housing developments.

Mr Latimer urged councillors to defer a decision on planning permission until the full Ofwat report is published, or to place “stringent conditions on the permission to force the developer and Northumbrian Water to provide more treatment capacity for all this new sewage.”

Representatives from both the landowner and house-builder also attended the planning hearing and spoke in support of plans for the Whitburn Lodge site, outlining the benefits of the scheme.

Applicants said that they did not intend to get involved in the ongoing dispute between campaigners and Northumbrian Water, and stressed that there was already local demand for the Whitburn housing site with almost 200 expressions of interest.

Developers added the plan would remove an “unsightly” building, provide improved surface water drainage compared to the current situation, and much-needed housing for future generations, and noted foul sewage discharges would “not create any harm to public health or biodiversity.”

Council planners, in a committee report, added the development was the same as considered by councillors in 2024 and met the “very special circumstances” needed to justify development in the Green Belt.

Reasons included the “poor and deteriorating condition” of the site, commitments around its “timely” development and the plans helping South Tyneside Council to address housing supply delivery targets, which it is currently failing to meet.

On drainage and sewage concerns, council planners also maintained that there was “sufficient network and treatment capacity” available for the housing development.

During debate on the application, a mix of views were expressed by members of the planning panel, with some calling for the development plans to be approved.

Councillor Paul Dean said he was “shocked” at how Whitburn Lodge had “gone to rack and ruin” in recent years and added the development would “boost the deficient housing supply we have in the borough”.

“We can’t turn down every housing development, we have got a need for housing in the area and what we have got to think about is our children and our grandchildren, they do need to have houses available for them,” he said.

“I know fine well that these houses, if they do get built, will be popular and that people will want to live in this particular area, so for that reason I’m proposing that we accept this and approve it.”

A vote to approve the application was initially launched but failed to win majority support across the council chamber, and councillors were subsequently prompted to discuss an alternative motion.

Councillor Shirley Ford eventually made a formal call for the Whitburn Lodge application to be refused.

The councillor cited the issues of the “failure of the foul drainage system” and the plans representing a “significant new addition of foul sewage into a system that is clearly not working”.

Cllr Ford added that on balance, the “harm” of the scheme “outweighed the benefits” and made reference to a national planning policy which “requires decisions to contribute to enhancing the natural and local environment by preventing new development from contributing to unacceptable levels of water pollution.”

After being put to the vote again, the plans were refused by a majority of councillors present, with seven votes to refuse and four votes against refusal.

Council planners at the Planning Committee confirmed they had no indication of the time-scales involved for future publication of the final Ofwat report and previously warned against moves to defer housing plans in the context of waiting for this report, including the risk of appeal from developers.

This included a potential appeal on the grounds of the council failing to determine a planning application by a set deadline, referred to as a “non-determination” appeal.

The Whitburn Lodge ruling followed similar debate and comments around an application for more than 200 homes at Cleadon Lane Industrial Estate near East Boldon, which was also brought back before the Planning Committee for decision, despite being approved by councillors more than two years ago.

The large housing development was refused by the Planning Committee earlier at Monday’s (March 10) meeting, for similar reasons as the Whitburn Lodge site, by a majority vote.

Applicants for both developments have the right to challenge the Planning Committee’s refusal decisions by lodging appeals with the Secretary of State.

Each appeal would be considered by a planning inspector, who could approve or reject the relevant planning application, as well as adding planning conditions.

For more information on the Whitburn Lodge planning refusal decision, visit South Tyneside Council’s planning portal website and search reference: ST/0712/23/FUL