The new community service will be located at a former shop on Trafalgar Street, Consett, and will also include a café.
Submitted by the Foundation for Good and handled by CR Design Services, the proposal includes refurbishing other parts of the building.
The building will also have professional meeting rooms and office spaces, and there will be upgrades to the boxing gym and community spaces on the first floor.
Improvements to the building’s exterior will include new aluminium curtain walling, glazing replacements, and the infill of unused areas.
The rooftop will have air conditioning units and 36 solar panels installed.
Development is expected to increase the floor space by 118 square metres, and the number of full-time equivalent employees is anticipated to rise from seven to nine.
The foodbank will operate within the broader hours of the gym and café.
Located in the town centre near the bus station and other commercial establishments, the building will benefit from good accessibility via sustainable transport according to the applicants.
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The area is predominantly commercial, with no residential properties nearby.
Currently, the building is described as “tired and inactive” with significant shuttering and boarded windows with proposed enhancements aiming to revitalise its appearance, encouraging greater footfall in the town centre.
The site, in an urban location with no green spaces, is exempt from biodiversity net gain requirements.
Developers are required to notify Durham County Council before starting work, and the development must commence within three years of approval.
The solar panels, heat pumps, and cycle storage must be operational within six months of use.
