Go ahead for historic tram shelter revamp

Plans to breathe new life into a listed building in Sunderland have been given the go ahead by the council.The Seaburn Tram Shelter is one of three historic buildings being revamped as part of a £850,000 investment from Sunderland City Council and The Coastal Communities Fund.Plans were brought forward by East Boldon’s Blacks Corner to transform the tram shelter into a new delicatessen that will be sympathetic to the history of the shelter, while creating a new addition to the seaside offering.Now that the listed building application has been approved, the team from Blacks Corner will work with the local community to understand how they can contribute to the plans to ensure it becomes a focal point and meeting place for residents of, and visitors to, Seaburn.The development will include a series of sensitive restoration works to the fish-scale roof, cast iron columns and timber frames.Blacks Corner was revealed as the preferred occupier of the shelter earlier this year, after the council confirmed it planned to revamp the building as part of a wider seaside regeneration scheme that will also see a former toilet block and bay shelter brought back into use.The income from the lease – which was agreed with the support of Sunderland based commercial property surveyors, Lofthouse and Partners – will support the Sunderland Seafront Trust, which operates the Roker Pier and Lighthouse tours, and the new income will help it to organise a range of seafront events and activities.