New city centre blood donation facility approved

Plans to create a dedicated blood donation centre in a city centre have been approved.

Sunderland City Council has given the green light for the development of the ground floor of the Faber building.

The centre aims to collect donations from dozens of donors a day to collect the vital blood components needed for life-saving treatments.

The applicant Sunderland Vaux 1 said the plans would "strengthen regional healthcare infrastructure" and support "essential medical treatments in the area".

Visitors are expected to spend between 20 and 90 minutes at the centre and based on peak demand, the facility will accommodate "no more than 56 individuals at any one time during a peak hour (typically on a Saturday), comprising both donors and staff".

The applicant said the site would be a "car-free development" as visitors and staff would have access to nearby public car parks, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Council planners said the impact of the proposal on residential and visual amenity and highway and pedestrian safety was acceptable, and the site was within a city centre parking zone.

The council decision report said: "The proposed site has good links to public transport, with the rail and Metro station within close walking proximity.

"The proposals are not expected to result in a material increase in highway safety risk, nor would they have a severe residual impact on the operation of the local highway network."

Follow BBC Sunderland on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram and listen on BBC Sounds.