Plans approved for new 'container café' development near South Shields Ferry Landing

South Tyneside Council’s planning department has approved an application for a vacant parcel of land at Ferry Street in the town.

The site sits near the access point to the Shields Ferry and has previously been identified as a development area as part of the local authority’s town centre regeneration plans.

Earlier this year, a planning application from ‘Ferry View Limited’ was submitted to council officials proposing a new “container café” on the site with an associated toilet,  as well as a bike store and seating area.

The development, which will be called Ferry View, aims to provide a “gourmet deli” food and drink offer, with a mix of hot and cold drinks and sandwiches and toasties, as well as offering bike hire services.

A design and access statement previously submitted to council officials said the retail element of the scheme would be created from “converted containers”.

The design and access statement added the containers would be “finished externally with timber cladding” and that “glazed balustrading to the perimeter and demountable sail canopies will provide a high-quality scheme”.

Applicants also said the development would “provide a contemporary and high-quality café and ancillary facilities to local commuters and people using the coastal bike route which runs parallel to the site”.

Following a council public consultation exercise on the plans however, around 19 objections were submitted raising concerns about a range of issues.

One objection came from the nearby listed Alum Ale House which, according to council documents, raised concerns about the café development “steering away [the pub’s] clientèle”.

The objector also raised concerns about the customers of the new development “taking advantage” of the pub’s decking area and said “we definitely do not need any more gatherings on or around Ferry Approach”.

Wider concerns raised by objectors included the loss of green space, impacts on views including neighbours “overlooking a toilet block”,  impacts on the setting of the Grade II-listed Alum Ale House, privacy, littering,  anti-social behaviour and noise.

One comment described the proposed development as “unsightly, industrial containers”, while another said the design was “more akin to a fairground”.

It was also argued that there were “lots of empty premises in King Street ready for use instead”.

Two representations in support were also submitted to South Tyneside Council, with one comment saying the development was an “excellent idea” which “may encourage greater usage of the ferry”.

Another supporter included  Beacon and Bents ward councillor, David Francis, who said the development would “make good use” of a vacant site and “help encourage cycling/active travel and draw more visitors to South Shields town centre”.

During the planning application process, amended plans and further information were submitted in relation to highways and biodiversity following feedback from council officers.

After considering the amended plan, South Tyneside Council’s planning department approved it on September 5, 2024.

A decision notice, published on the council’s website, said the site was allocated in council plans as “appropriate for mixed-use development”.

Council planners said the “materials proposed are considered to be acceptable in design and visual appearance” and that “it is not considered any neighbouring property would be adversely affected by way of amenity, privacy or overshadowing”.

It was also noted that there was no objection from the council’s historic environment officer and that the “proposal has been designed to be subservient in the landscape in terms of scale and massing and does not appear to compete with the Grade II-listed building [nearby], with its contemporary design and mixture of materials”.

The council decision report added: “Following the receipt of amended plans, including the removal of a serving hatch adjacent to the southern boundary footpath, the highway authority have raised no objections to the proposal.

“It is noted that no dedicated car parking has been provided for the development, however given the site’s location adjacent to the town centre boundary, and with excellent transport links including proximity to the Ferry Landing and South Shields Interchange, no car parking is considered to be necessary in this particular instance.

“The applicant has stated that staff will be encouraged to travel to the site using these transport links”.

In relation to concerns about impact on businesses, council planners added “competition grounds are not a material planning consideration and cannot be afforded weight in the decision-making process”.

The scheme has been developed in conjunction with the council and the future operator of the café is the same team behind Green Fingers Garden Centre in South Shields.

Kenneth Coates, of the Ferry View development, welcomed the plans being approved and said he hopes the café will be up and running in November this year.

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He added the development is expected to create between 6-12 new jobs and would be a “family-run business” with a “community focus”.

The containers for the café development will be prefabricated and ‘dropped’ onto the development site, with minimal physical works to the site itself.

Mr Coates stressed the development was “not there to compete with anyone” and would “provide a service” for a key transportation link, as well as serve as a “cycle hub” for a major cycle route.

It is also hoped that the development will benefit from plans to relocate South Tyneside College to King Street in South Shields, as well as investment to build a new multi-million-pound landing for the Shields Ferry at North Shields Fish Quay.

Under planning conditions, the South Shields café development can only open to customers between 7am-7pm on any day.

For more information on the planning application or council decision, visit South Tyneside Council’s planning portal website and search reference: ST/0186/24/FUL.