Free one hour of parking to be introduced to boost city centre footfall and trade
Visitors to Sunderland city centre are being offered one hour of free parking to increase footfall and boost trading.
Set to come into place in April (2026), Sunderland City Council’s cabinet has approved a new car parking offer – one additional hour of parking is gifted with every parking purchase – to encourage people coming into the city centre to turn a shorter stay into a longer visit.
The incentive is just one part of a focused effort by Sunderland City Council and Sunderland Business Improvement District (BID) to increase footfall, dwell-time and spend in the city centre, and to attract more traders to the heart of Sunderland, improving the retail offer for residents and visitors.
Councillor Michael Mordey said he hoped the new parking deal – which will apply to all council-run city centre surface car parks – would deliver a boost to city centre traders.
He said: “The city centre is transforming and – with some brilliant new traders coming into the heart of Sunderland – there are more and more reasons to visit the city centre. But we know there is more to do, and we’re working hard to proactively promote Sunderland to new retailers who can further enhance our offer.
“Added to that, giving a free additional hour with every parking booking in city centre surface car parks, is something we hope will encourage people to extend their stay and use their free hour to explore some of the new places we have to visit – from new independent retailers to eateries and leisure venues.”
The city is currently bucking the national trend with footfall up over the last seven months and sales having increased by 0.8% and food and drink sales up by 11%.
Sharon Appleby, chief executive of Sunderland BIDs, said: “Confidence is absolutely critical when retailers invest in a new store, and the huge programme of regeneration underway in Riverside Sunderland – bringing thousands of people into the area to live, work and play – will provide a significant boost to that.
“Add to that the football club’s Premier League status, which has had a significant impact on footfall in the city, and places like the Sunderland Empire, The Fire Station and the transformed Omniplex cinema bringing thousands of people to enjoy entertainment, and it is easy to see why more people are attracted to visit and spend in the city.
“This data allows us to show retailers that there is an opportunity that they’re missing out on by not being in Sunderland.
“It really is the case that people in the city who want to see more retailers can play a part in making that a reality by supporting their city centre, and through offers like the new parking deal, hopefully they will do just that.”
The City Council faced a backlash from residents and businesses at the start of 2024 after abolishing the ‘Free after Three’ parking initiative in the city centre.