Future of South Shields' landmark Riddicks building sealed as key ruling on developers' plans delivered

The latest meeting of South Tyneside Council’s Planning Committee discussed an application for the former Riddicks building on the corner of Fowler Street and Keppel Street.

The towering site has had several uses over the years, including as a grocer, chain store and snooker hall, as well as serving as the popular Riddicks shoe shop for many years.

However, the shoe shop sold its last pair in 2014, while Racks snooker hall upstairs also shut down, and permission was later granted for the building to be used as office space in 2019.

In recent years, the town centre site has been refurbished as part of council-led regeneration efforts.

Plans from Premier Leisure Ltd, later approved by the council’s planning department in April, 2024, aimed to transform the majority of the building into a mixed public bar and restaurant, along with five residential flats on the second floor.

Original plans for the building’s first floor included a large gaming area with ‘feature booth’ seating, pool tables, ‘virtual darts’ and pinball machines.

Although the business Riddicks Sports Bar is now in operation at the site, the first floor is currently vacant, according to planning documents.

New plans from Premier Leisure were submitted earlier this year seeking permission to change the building’s first floor into four self-contained residential flats.

A design, access and heritage statement submitted with the plans said the proposals aimed to “omit the previously approved public bar and restaurant at first floor level and replace this with four self-contained residential flats”.

Those behind the scheme added the “change of use responds to evolving town centre needs and demand for high-quality urban residential accommodation”.

Councillors on the planning committee ultimately approved the application by majority vote, in line with recommendations from local authority officers.

However this wasn’t without some concerns being raised around the scheme and the use of key town centre spaces for residential development.

Councillor Joan Hamilton said: “It just makes me think where is it going to stop?

“I think our residents deserve better than just a double bed in one room.”

Councillor Paul Brenen added he had “some concerns about the number of residential properties we are now pushing into the town centre” and argued the space was in a “prominent location” and could be better used.

He said: “We’re filling the shops and other buildings with housing. Is this what we want, do we really want to change the town centre into housing?”

However the majority of councillors in attendance supported the scheme.

Councillor Paul Dean said: “I think it’s good that we are bringing these old buildings back into use.

“There are so many buildings throughout the borough which just go to wreck and ruin and I’m just so pleased that this is going to be in the centre and it’s going to be an asset to the town.”

Councillor Chris Davies also echoed similar thoughts about the positives of converting the upper spaces of urban properties.

He added: “They are underutilised across the country and it’s space that has already been approved in part for this property to convert it to residential amenity.

“I also understand from a business perspective that a three floor hospitality space is not always going to be appropriate given the level of usage in the hospitality sector at the moment.”

Council planners had concluded the development would be “acceptable in principle as it would bring the building fully back into use” along with “enhancing the vitality and viability of the town centre”.

It was noted “each apartment would house a double bed with a seating area and integrated kitchen” along with having a bathroom.

The council committee report clarified the proposal was not a house in multiple occupation[HMO] and that the residential accommodation “remains as self-contained apartments, albeit that a further four apartments are now proposed in addition to the five apartments previously approved”.

The planning application has been called into the planning committee by Beacon and Bents ward councillor David Francis.

Comments from Cllr Francis, outlined in the committee report, said the application represented a “significant intensification of residential use” and would “raise many of the same concerns typically associated with HMOs”.

Developers Premier Leisure previously maintained the proposed residential use is “sympathetic to the character and evolution of the building”.

It was argued that the new plan for the landmark Riddicks building would “support its long-term viability and active use”.

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