Seafront development at old amusements approved

An amusement arcade is to be knocked down to make way for a seafront development after changes to the scheme were passed.

The Roker Amusements building in Marine Walk, Sunderland, will be bulldozed and replaced with a two-storey building described as a "family entertainment centre".

It will also include a ground-floor cafe and three apartments overlooking the beach.

Planning documents submitted by Seldon's Leisureworld said the building's design would mirror the Pier Point development at Marine Walk.

Plans to develop the site had initially been approved two years ago, but no work has taken place.

A previous council report described the existing building as "tired and unattractive" and said the new building would "enhance the character and appearance of Marine Walk".

The most recent planning application was submitted in August and called for a number of tweaks to the previous designs.

Changes included increasing the building's height, adding solar panels across the roof and installing heat pumps at its rear.

One person objected to the development's additional height but Seldon's successfully argued the change was needed to make the building more efficient, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

It added the rear grass embankment would "provide substantial screening from the higher vantage point".

Following the approval, the developer has until the end of May 2026 to begin work on the site.

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