Developers seek public views on £15m retail scheme

The public are being asked to have to their say on £15m plans for a new job-creating retail-led development on the site of a former North East coal mine.Developed by the Hellens Group, the proposals involve the development of a number of retail units and a drive-thru restaurant on the site of the former Houghton-le-Spring Colliery.The scheme comprises a discount foodstore of approximately 19,000 sq ft, three large-format retail units consisting of a total of around 38,000 sq ft and four smaller retail/leisure units totaling approximately 6,500 sq ft. The plans also include the provision of 300 car parking spaces.It is estimated that the development would create up to 125 jobs once operational, as well as construction employment and other spin-off jobs.The Hellens Group has appointed the Newcastle office of national planning and development consultancy Lichfields to secure planning permission for the scheme, with the team now seeking views on the proposals from the public. Comment forms are available online.After operating for more than 150 years, Houghton colliery was closed in 1981 and the site was subsequently remediated.It is anticipated that a planning application will be submitted in April 2020.