A South Shields micro bar is being proposed for 66A Stanhope Road, with a planning application now under consideration by South Tyneside Council.
The unit sits in the town’s West Park ward and has had a few lives already. Most recently it housed a financial services business; before that, it ran as a dessert delivery takeaway. The new proposal would strip all of that back and replace it with a compact bar format: interior seating, a bar positioned at the front of the unit, and toilet facilities.
What the South Shields micro bar plans include
The planning application sets out a clear picture of how the venue would operate day to day. Proposed trading hours run from 10am to 10pm Monday to Thursday, extending to 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays. On Sundays and bank holidays, the suggested hours are 11am to 10pm.
Crucially, the applicants already hold a licence for the premises, issued by South Tyneside Council earlier this year following a statutory procedure. That licence covers the sale of alcohol, recorded music, film screenings and live music performances. Standard operating hours under the licence run until 10pm Sunday to Thursday and until 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays, broadly mirroring the trading hours now being sought through the planning process.
With the licensing side secured, the applicants are now pursuing planning consent for the formal change of use. The planning application makes that sequence clear: certain permissions were already in place, and planning approval is the remaining step needed to bring the project to fruition.
Should the South Shields micro bar get the green light, it is anticipated to create one full-time position.
What happens next
South Tyneside Council’s planning department will reach a decision after carrying out a public consultation process. Anyone wanting to follow the application can search for reference 260451 on the South Tyneside planning portal.
Micro bars have been carving out space in town centres across the Northeast, offering a smaller, more focused alternative to traditional pubs. The Stanhope Road unit is compact by nature, which fits the format: a front-facing bar, seating inside, and a licence that covers live music and film alongside the drinks. Whether the planning application clears the consultation stage will determine whether that licence gets put to use.
The South Shields micro bar proposal adds to a run of activity on the town’s commercial streets as vacant and repurposed units find new functions. A former dessert takeaway becoming a licensed music and drinks venue is a fairly sharp turn, but the groundwork has already been laid. The public consultation period is the next step on the clock.
This story was reported by Local Democracy Reporting Service journalist Chris Binding.