Proposals were submitted to Sunderland City Council for 25 John Street in 2020. The Grade II-Listed building was formerly used by Treanors Solicitors Ltd but has been vacant for several months. Applicants plan to transform the office building into flats aimed at the student market. On April 9, city planners approved a bid for 10 apartments and internal changes to the building. These ranged from new plumbing, kitchens and en-suite bathrooms to revamped flooring and ventilation. All bedrooms are expected to offer high-speed internet connections, a double bed and a TV. According to planning statements, prepared by Fitz Architects, the plans will help safeguard the future of the building. A report reads: “The current building is in need of repair and upgrading and the proposals provide a high quality refurbishment that will hopefully be a catalyst for other similar buildings on the street.” Representations from the council’s conservation team were also supportive of “finding an alternative use for the building.” A council statement adds: “John Street has a low occupancy rate for commercial premises with only a couple of units currently in use within the street. “The council itself has recently converted commercial premises into residential due to the lack of uptake from the commercial sector. “In light of this it is important to consider the potential risk to the building should it become vacant for a long period of time against the policies within the Sunniside Planning and Design Framework.” A message from the Editor: Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you. In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper. Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis. With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspaper. Thank you How to subscribe to the print edition It’s easy to subscribe to your local newspaper. We have arranged a special 20 per cent off subscription offer for people to take advantage of. Visit www.localsubsplus.co.uk, choose the newspaper title, the type of subscription and enter your details.