Elemore Country Park in Sunderland getting new cycle storage as work continues to make it community hub

Sunderland City Council has submitted an application to its own planning department for land at the Elemore Country Park Café and Garden Centre, off Elemore Lane, in the Hetton area.

The newly-established country park aims to put the 61-hectare site back in the heart of the community after it was previously home to the once-thriving Elemore Colliery and then Elemore Golf Club, which closed in 2019.

In recent years, the land has been transformed into public green space, with a community-run café and garden centre officially opening at the site in 2023.

Council chiefs have been working to make the park a community hub, with family music festivals being held at the site and grant funding being awarded to support community initiatives, as well as the installation of a play park to help keep children active.

Work is also in progress to install a fitness trail at the park, using the existing footpath network and new footpaths to create a circular route accommodating exercise equipment.

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New plans submitted to council planning officials are seeking permission to install more facilities at the park in the form of a steel storage container to be used for cycle storage.

A planning application from the country park’s manager provides more information on the plan and its aims, including wider proposals for a ‘cycle hub’ at the park.

The planning application states: “The installation of a sea container of approximately 24ft x 9ft in the compound to the rear of the café / garden centre.

“The container is to be used as cycle storage with a view to developing a cycle hub on site managed by volunteers.”

A decision on the planning application will be made once a council consultation exercise has concluded.

Sunderland City Council’s planning portal website lists a decision deadline of February 6, 2025.

For more information on the planning application or to track its progress, visit the council’s planning portal website and search reference: 24/02018/LP3