Derelict North East pub to be demolished to make way for 32 new homes

Michael Robinson
·2-min read
Plans which would see Whitburn Lodge pub in Mill Lane, Sunderland demolished to make way for new homes have been greenlit by the council Credit: LOVELL <i>(Image: Lovell)</i>
Plans which would see Whitburn Lodge pub in Mill Lane, Sunderland demolished to make way for new homes have been greenlit by the council Credit: LOVELL (Image: Lovell)

Plans which would see a derelict North East pub demolished to make way for new homes have been greenlit by the council.

Developer Lovell has confirmed their application to demolish the former Whitburn Lodge pub in Mill Lane, Sunderland, which closed in 2012, has been approved by South Tyneside Council.

The building had previously caught fire in on New Year’s Day in 2023 and has been subject to calls to be demolished.

The council approved the plans at a meeting on May 20.

The application will now be referred to the Secretary of State, and planning consent will be granted if no queries are raised.

The developers have confirmed they plan to build 32 homes on the site which will be known as Laurel Gate.

The company said it will increase biodiversity by more than 30 per cent in the area as part of the project.

A spokesperson for Lovell said: “This will be through a combination of on-site measures and by funding additional biodiversity enhancements in the wider area through a £29,400 contribution. A further £12,896 will be paid to protect existing wildlife habitats.

Phil Jones, head of land and partnerships, said: “Laurel Gate will make use of land that has previously been developed to provide homes that meet the needs of people living in Whitburn and the wider area.

“These two, three and four-bedroom homes will be highly energy efficient, with solar panels and electric vehicle charging points. This will help residents to save money on running costs and to reduce their carbon impact.

“The affordable properties include discounted homes for first-time buyers, as well as some low-cost rented homes.

“Laurel Gate will include an open space with a pond to drain surface water while creating new wildlife habitats. A link to the Souter walking trail will also be created.

Most read:

Stay ahead with every development. Our election coverage brings you insights and updates directly. Save 40% on annual subscriptions starting today! #StayInformed

“The Whitburn Lodge building has become an eyesore at this entrance to the village. By building a sensitively designed development, we can create attractive street scenes that complement the coastal location and its heritage.”

The plans include the demolition of the pub building and the clearing of the former car park, beer garden and surrounding land.

The developer plans to start work on the development in August and said the first homes are expected to be ready in 2025.

  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next

Latest stories

  • 'Mysterious' carnivorous sharks found lurking in the depths of British waters

    As shark season approaches in the UK, are you aware of the giant 400-year-old sharks that can be found in our waters?

  • Moose chased by bear stops to look back; ‘You still coming?’

    A wildlife biologist saw a moose and decided to take a short video. “It ended up being a better video than I expected,” Wes Larson said.

  • Scottish farmers damn wild beaver reintroduction policy

    As night falls in central Scotland, beavers appear in a pond under the fascinated gaze of a group of nature enthusiasts. - Natural engineers - There were almost 1,000 beavers in Scotland in 2020-21, according to NatureScot, the public body responsible for Scotland's natural heritage. 

  • Future of new oil and gas projects in UK thrown into doubt after landmark Supreme Court decision

    The future of new oil and gas projects in the UK has been thrown into doubt following a landmark decision by the Supreme Court. The court concluded the environmental impact of emissions from burning fossil fuels must be considered in planning applications for new extraction projects - not just the impacts of the emissions produced in extracting them. The case hinged around an oil drilling project at Horse Hill in Surrey, granted planning permission by Surrey County Council in 2019.

  • Recent discoveries that have taken Earth's experts by surprise

    From incredible discoveries about the natural world to archaeological finds and new learnings about our solar system, here are some of the most fascinating breakthroughs scientists and researchers have made in the last few years.

  • Haj pilgrimage threatened as hundreds perish in heat

    STORY: Nearly 2 million Muslims will complete the haj pilgrimage this week, but extreme heat has been fatal for hundreds who started the journey last Friday, to the Kaaba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.According to reports, at least 562 people have died during the haj. Egypt has reported 307 deaths and 118 missing, with temperatures hitting over 124 degrees Fahrenheit.The haj's timing is based on the lunar year, moving back 10 days each year.While the haj is now moving towards winter, it will occur in the peak of summer in Saudi Arabia by the 2040s.Climate scientist Fahad Saeed says these deaths hint at future risks for millions of haj pilgrims."We need to prepare, we need to adapt, we need to introduce the adaptation option as much as we can. While realizing that it will compromise on the centuries old ritual, but still we need to save people. But at the same time, we must do climate action to stop the global warming at 1.5 degrees centigrade. At anything beyond that, we are putting those pilgrims at the risk of death."Heat-related deaths during the haj have been recorded since the 1400s.Pilgrims' vulnerability stems from exertion, exposure, and older age, as well as a simple lack of acclimatization to the heat.According to Saudi officials last year, more than 2,000 people suffered from heat stress during that haj.A 2021 study in the journal Environmental Research Letters found that if global temperatures rise by 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit above pre-industrial levels, heat stroke risk for haj pilgrims will increase by five times.Still, pilgrims remain determined - for some, it's a one-in-a-lifetime affair."Haj is the fifth pillar of Islam and it is a mandatory duty for every capable person. So you have to exert efforts and get tired. Haj is a difficult task, so you have to exert efforts and perform the rituals even in the conditions of heat and crowding. You use an umbrella, drink water and pour it onto your body to prevent dehydration. And the water sprinklers in the walkways help."In 2016, Saudi Arabia implemented a heat strategy with shaded areas, water points at every 500 meters, and improved healthcare.Saudi health authorities advised pilgrims to stay hydrated and avoid outdoor activities from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. during this year's haj.

  • UK weather: Temperatures set to rise - with some areas forecast to be as hot as Ibiza

    Warmer weather is on the way with the UK finally set to enjoy a spell of sunshine - as temperatures in some parts are expected to match those in Ibiza. While temperatures will likely hover at around 20C (68F) over the weekend, with highs of 24C (75F) in the south, Monday and Tuesday could be as hot as Ibiza in the southeast. It is forecast to be 25C (77F) on the sunny Spanish island at the start of next week, matching London and surrounding areas, with the Midlands and northwest a degree or two cooler.

  • These are the 7 gardening jobs you need to be doing before June ends

    From planting summer flower beds to watering hanging baskets, there are plenty of jobs to do before the sunshine (hopefully) arrives.

  • North Sea oil drilling threatened by landmark Supreme Court ruling

    The future of Britain’s oil and gas industry has been thrown into doubt after a landmark decision by the Supreme Court.

  • Researchers believe nest study offers lifeline to under-threat capercaillie

    The study has shown putting meat put down close to nests increases their chances of survival by 83%

  • Nature's best-kept secrets: the most incredible plant finds of recent times

    Scientists continue to unearth new botanical discoveries regularly, with hundreds of new plant species found and identified in recent years alone. Here's a round-up of the latest discoveries in the world of plants, fungi and flora.

  • Delhi records hottest night ever as relentless heatwave claims five lives

    Need for cooling has increased the load on capital’s power grid with consumption soaring to a record 8,647mw this week

  • New world record set for residential solar panel

    Oxford PV pioneering the commercialisation of next-generation cells using ‘miracle material’ perovskite

  • Glastonbury weather forecast: Latest Met Office update ahead of festival

    After a few years of beautiful sunny weekends in Somerset, will the weather hold out for Glastonbury 2024?

  • Does the Coalition’s case for nuclear power stack up? We factcheck seven key claims

    Cheaper electricity, less emissions and ready by 2035 are some of the Coalition’s core promises on nuclear energy, but are they backed by evidence?

  • AI diplomacy ignores greatest existential risk of all: Climate change

    Never before have we birthed a technology that treads such a thin line between saving our world and driving it to self-destruction, Manuel Matos dos Santos writes.

  • The Iberian lynx is back from the brink of extinction, thanks to conservation efforts

    Things are looking up for the Iberian lynx. Just over two decades ago, the pointy-eared wild cat was on the brink of extinction, but as of Thursday the International Union for Conservation of Nature says it's no longer an endangered species. Successful conservation efforts mean that the animal, native to Spain and Portugal, is now barely a vulnerable species, according to the latest version of the IUCN Red List.

  • Gleaming monolith pops up in Nevada desert, the latest in a series of quickly vanishing structures

    The strange monolith looks like it could have come from another world. Jutting out of the rocks in a remote mountain range near Las Vegas, the glimmering rectangular prism's reflective surface imitates the vast desert landscape surrounding the mountain peak where it has been erected. Las Vegas police said on the social platform X that members of its search and rescue unit found the otherworldly object over the weekend near Gass Peak, part of the vast Desert National Wildlife Refuge where bighorn sheep and desert tortoises can be found roaming.

  • Satellite Imagery Captures Tropical Storm Alberto Swirling in Bay of Campeche

    The first tropical storm of the season formed over the Gulf of Mexico and was named Tropical Storm Alberto on the morning of Wednesday, June 19.Imagery captured by CSU/CIRA & NOAA shows Tropical Storm Alberto swirling in the Bay of Campeche, in the Gulf of Mexico, on Wednesday morning.The National Weather Service warned that the first bands of rain associated with the tropical disturbance had reached the coast in front of San Antonio, Texas, by Wednesday morning.Weather warnings were in effect for coastal Texas.The tropical storm was forecast to bring heavy rainfall to Central America, Mexico, and coastal Texas through Thursday, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC). The “very large storm system” would have rain, wind, and flooding impacts “extending far from the center,” the NHC said.The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) warned back in May that this hurricane season could be the worst in decades, according to The Washington Post. Credit: CSU/CIRA & NOAA via Storyful

  • ‘No credible reason’ to expect cheaper power bills under Peter Dutton’s nuclear energy plan, experts say

    Tony Wood of the Grattan Institute rejects Coalition’s claim electricity prices are high due to Labor’s renewables policy