Plans to transform a landmark building in South Shields into a sports bar and restaurant have been submitted to council development chiefs.

South Tyneside Council’s planning department has received a planning application for the former Riddicks building on the corner of Fowler Street and Keppel Street.

The towering building has had several uses over the years including as a grocer, chain store and snooker hall, as well as serving as the popular Riddicks shoe store for many years.

However the shoe shop sold its last pair in 2014, while Racks snooker hall upstairs also shut down, with permission later granted for the building to be used as office space in 2019.

In recent years the town centre building, which is owned by South Tyneside Council, has also been refurbished as part of regeneration efforts in South Shields.

At a meeting of the council’s cabinet on October 4, 2023, town hall bosses agreed to progress the disposal of the building’s freehold, subject to planning permission being granted for a new use.

New plans from Premier Leisure Ltd aim to transform the building into a mixed public bar and restaurant across the basement, ground and first floors.

In addition the plans include apartments on the building’s second floor, as well as a new pavement café outdoor seating area.

The plans have been submitted with a number of supporting documents providing more details on the development.

This includes the new venue being named ‘Riddicks Sports Bar & Grill’.

A proposed layout plan shows a kitchen preparation area and storage, office and staff facilities within the basement floor.

Plans for the ground floor include a main bar area with a kitchen and large seating area, as well as an accessible toilet and bin store.

The first floor area sets out space for toilet facilities and a large gaming area with ‘feature booth’ seating, pool tables, ‘virtual darts’ and pinball machines.

Elsewhere, the proposed residential use on the second floor indicates that five apartments would be provided, each with space for a double bed, kitchen, living space, toilet and shower. 

A heritage statement submitted to council officials adds the plans would have a “minor” impact on the significance of the building.

Those behind the scheme added “consideration will be taken to reduce / eliminate as much odour and noise nuisance within the specification of the kitchen extraction”.

A planning application also states the development would create 14 full-time equivalent jobs.

Next steps around the ownership of the former Riddicks building are directly linked to a decision on the planning application.

The decision on the application will be made by either council planning officers or the council’s Planning Committee once a period of council consultation has concluded.

Councillor Margaret Meling, cabinet member for economic growth and transport, said: “The former Riddicks shop is a landmark building of architectural merit and is a much-loved part of South Shields town centre.

“The council partially refurbished the building, retaining its distinctive façade and frontage, and this month cabinet agreed to progress a proposal to sell the freehold, one of the conditions of which being that the proposed purchaser obtains their planning consent.

“We look forward to the building continuing to play a part in the town’s future.”

Comments can be made on the plans until November 1, 2023, via South Tyneside Council’s planning portal website.

For more information on the planning application or to track its progress, visit the council planning website and search reference:  ST/0638/23/FUL