Tesco dealt fresh Sunderland Vaux Brewery setback

Sunderland Arc claimed a fresh victory today in its battle with Tesco over Sunderland’s former Vaux Brewery site. In June Tesco launched a legal challenge to the Department for Communities and Local Government’s decision to back Urban Regeneration Company Sunderland Arc’s rival plans for the 16–acre site, which is owned by the supermarket giant. The two have been at loggerheads over the prime riverside site since 2002, when the regeneration group released alternative plans for the area. Tesco has been pursuing plans for 300,000 sq ft of offices, 350 flats and a 100,000 sq ft store. Today a planning inspector’s report into the site’s future was published backing the city council and Sunderland’s Arc preference for a mixed use development at the site and concluding that major retail development should be confined to a central retail core which does not take in the Vaux site. The report follows a week long planning inquiry held in July which examined planned alterations to Sunderland’s Unitary Development Plan which sets out the framework for the long term development of land in the city. The inspector also endorses the future development use of large sites in Sunderland such as the Holmeside Triangle and other important sites along the riverside, such as the former Grove Cranes site and Sheepfolds. The Leader of Sunderland council, Cllr Bob Symonds said: “We welcome this report. “It gives us a clear steer forward for securing the future development of the Vaux site and the other large development sites within Central Sunderland.  “We will now be working closely with our partners to take forward the inspector’s decisons.” The alteration to the UDP will be formally adopted by the City Council in September. Tesco’s legal challenge is likely to be heard in the High Court later this year. paul.norman@egi.co.uk