A much-loved former café in the centre of Sunderland is finally set to be transformed into student accommodation after plans were given the go-ahead.
Revised plans to create 16 student apartments on the site where Louis Café stands on Park Lane were approved by Sunderland City Council earlier this month. The former café and restaurant, which opened up on the road in 1975 and served customers until 2018, will be turned into 15 student studios, one accessible studio, and a shopping unit. It is understood the development will be called Sunderland Studios.
The decision comes after revised plans were submitted to the council by MTA Land Investments Ltd earlier this year. The initial planning application was approved on March 22, last year, and proposed big changes to the building, including converting the ground floor into a retail unit and two studio apartments and extending the building upwards by two storeys to provide cluster-type student apartments across three upper floors.
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But due to the impact of Covid-19 and spiralling scheme costs, developers decided to scrap elements of the original scheme, including the two new upper floors, and went back to the drawing board. Revised plans aim to create stand-alone ‘student studio’ apartments with kitchen facilities, as well as communal kitchen and lounge facilities at ground floor level.
A management plan, submitted by MTA Land Investments Ltd, says the development will attempt to "create and maintain safe communities that students can enjoy and thrive in – and importantly, that plug seamlessly into the wider community, enhancing the neighbourhood in which they are situated." Every student will also be required to book a move in slot with the management team.
The plan adds: "Our goal is for Sunderland Studios to be a part of a thriving wider community. We are dedicated to developing ongoing relationships between our residents, staff, local residents, businesses and community organisations."
It is anticipated that the development will revitalise the building and "add to the vibrancy" of the city centre. A design and access statement submitted alongside the plans reads: "Great care has been taken to ensure the development would reinvigorate this tired looking property, making it contribute positively to its surroundings. Furthermore, by bringing this building back into use on this busy city centre thoroughfare, there would be an increase in the number of residents in this part of the city, which should be welcomed as they would add to the vibrancy of the city centre and increase footfall throughout the daytime and into the evening."
Family-run, Louis Café first started in Ryhope in 1924 and later opened in Crowtree Road in Sunderland city centre, before moving premises to Park Lane in 1975. However, it closed its doors for the final time in 2018 after owners took the difficult decision to cease trading. Since its closure, the building has fallen into disrepair.
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