Inn Collection Group gets green light for multimillion-pound Sunderland site

The Inn Collection Group has been given the go-ahead to build a 40-bedroom pub on Sunderland's seafront.

Sunderland City Council's planning committee has approved the group's application, with work expected to begin on the three-storey venue before the end of the year, aimed to open towards the end of 2020.

Sean Donkin, managing director of the Inn Collection Group, said: "We're delighted to have the green light to move forward with plans for what will be a fantastic addition to the seaside in Sunderland on a prime coastal spot."

The announcement follows a new strategic direction from the Inn Collection Group to develop a wholly freehold estate and more than double its 10-strong portfolio of pubs with rooms by 2022.

The Alchemy-backed group is seeking new development opportunities in the Lake District and Yorkshire as well as within its north-east England heartland. Its most recent new-build developments include the Commissioners Quay Inn in Blyth, Northumberland, and the Amble Inn, a £4m development which opened in January in Amble, Northmberland. The group is opening a new 30-bedroom pub with rooms, the Ambleside Inn in Cumbria, later this month.

Councillor Graeme Miller, leader of Sunderland City Council, said: "The new Seaburn inn will be somewhere that not only residents from the city can enjoy, but a place for visitors to stay and enjoy the sights of the city, with lovely views over to Seaburn seaside."