New 200 bay car park proposed for city centre to include over 50 EV charging points and mobility hub

A new car park with around 200 bays is being proposed for the city centre which would provide a park and ride link for the soon to be completed £27m Sunderland train station.

The new 'surface' ground level car park plan would also feature 11 accessible bays located to the north west of the site, two motorcycle parking areas towards the south of the site, and 54 of the total parking bays would contain electric vehicle charging points.

The plan, which is published on the City Council’s website, proposes the car park will be located in Holmeside, covering “cleared hard-standing, vacant scrub-land in the east and the access road into the rear of Sunderland College in the west of the site”.

As part of the plans a new single storey mobility hub would be constructed at the car park which would include cycle parking and screens showing nearby bus and rail timetables.

Part of the development will also include “improved areas of paving and soft landscaping” around the car park.

Plans identify that vehicle access to the car park will be “gained from an access point to the west, connecting to the existing road that runs from Holmeside to Sunderland College to the south”.

The Council believes the new car park can play an important role in accelerating the regeneration of the city.

A statement on the Council’s website said: “The development has the potential to generate further regeneration of the Holmeside area through investment by the Council, increased footfall and the provision of additional city centre parking. 

“This will also encourage more visitors to the city centre who in turn will spend money in the city.

“The development will complement and support the improvements to Sunderland Train Station by providing a supply of secure, safe and convenient long stay parking close to the station.”

Specific benefits outlined in the development plan include providing “an active use for previously developed vacant land”, providing "additional parking spaces in a well-located part of the city centre” and “improving the street-scape and visual frontage along Holmeside”.

As part of the planning consultation process the Council would like to hear from residents about their views on the proposal.

Sunderland City Council’s Cabinet Member for Dynamic City, Councillor Kevin Johnston, said: "We’re continuing to invest and improve our city.

"Residents, businesses and visitors will have noticed many new improvements in and around Holmeside.

"The new Holmeside car park ideas are very much part of this big picture for building a more dynamic Sunderland.

"Please do have your say."

Anyone who would like to comment should either complete the online survey or email their views to [email protected] by the end of Sunday October 1.

If given the go-ahead, work on the new car park would start “in early 2024”.