South Shields restaurant gutted by fire gets green light for dining area rebuild
The popular business was devastated by a blaze at the end of November last year.
A South Shields restaurant’s plan to restore its outdoor dining area following a devastating fire has been given the green light.
South Tyneside Council’s planning department has approved plans for a replacement outdoor dining area and refreshment kiosk at The Blue Marlin, based at Ocean Beach Pleasure Park.
The family-run restaurant was devastated by a fire in late-November, 2025 and although it is back in business, the rear outdoor customer area is still awaiting replacement.
Plans approved this month aim to “restore and improve” the outdoor customer seating area, “ensuring the continued viability of the business while enhancing the appearance, functionality, and safety of the site”.
A design and access statement submitted with the plan said the area destroyed by fire “formed an integral part of the restaurant’s operation and contributed positively to the vitality of the business and surrounding area”.
Applicants said the replacement structure represents a ‘like-for-like’ replacement with “enhancements to materials, durability, accessibility and security, allowing the outdoor dining facility to continue serving customers in a safe and attractive environment”.
The decked platform would be set under steel posts and beams for the roof forming a pergola, with new seating and dining facilities and “improved security measures to discourage future vandalism or criminal activity”.
The application noted that the outdoor area would be “fully accessible to all customers”, as well as supporting local employment.
Council planning officers, approving the plan on September 11, 2026, said the outdoor seating area and refreshment kiosk would be “in keeping with the character of the area” and would support the “enhancement and continued operation” of the Blue Marlin.
They added the plans would meet the objectives of a council policy which aims to “promote the role of existing facilities along the foreshore as all-year-round leisure and visitor attractions.”
For more information, visit the council’s planning portal website and search for reference 260500.