Photos show scale of new Holmeside car park in Sunderland city centre

Work is well underway on the new car park being created on cleared land in Holmeside.

Plans for a new surface car park in Sunderland city centre were given the green light by councillors in November 2023.

Once finished, the site will include a 196-space car park with associated access, servicing and landscape work and a ‘green retaining wall’.

Works are taking place on land which once housed The Railway Club and Sinatra’s, which were demolished to make way for the new development.

It replaces a multi-storey car park plan which was previously approved by councillors in 2022, but later shelved by Sunderland City Council. The council said that a surface car park would offer “better value for money in the short-term” and “keep options open for in the future.”

The new surface ground-level car park will feature accessible bays, motorcycle parking areas and electric vehicle (EV) charging bays.

It is envisaged that the new car park will provide a park-and-ride link for those using rail services in the city as part of wider plans to boost transport links.

A new single-storey mobility hub with a ‘green roof’ is also planned within the car park, offering both cycle parking and screens showing nearby bus and rail timetables.