Hopes new car park plans will ease issues around Sunderland school

Earlier in September, Sunderland City Council’s planning department validated plans for Thornhill Park School off Portland Road in the Barnes ward.

Applicant, the North East Autism Society, applied to the local authority to construct the new car park on part of its existing playing fields.

According to the application form, the development would provide an extra 28 spaces to serve the school.

A design and access statement, submitted on behalf of the applicant, said the school “suffers from parking issues due to staff at the school and the lack of parking currently available”.

As a result, the report states, “on-street parking is widely used and can be exacerbated at peak drop-off and pick-up times associated with Thornhill Park School itself as well as the nearby Plains Farm Academy.”

The proposed car park, which would be accessed from the existing access road within the boundary of the site, would provide parking facilities for staff, student drop offs and visitors to “alleviate” the parking issues in the surrounding area.

A planning consultation on the proposals is under way and comments can be made up until October 21, 2021.

The scheme has also been welcomed by Barnes ward councillor Antony Mullen, who submitted a supporting statement to the council’s planning authority.

In the statement, Cllr Mullen said the car park plan represented a “major commitment” from Thornhill Park School leaders towards helping to solve parking issues.

He added: “I hope to see the school’s service provision expand, but with that expansion will come more staff members still and that necessitates the school having a much more extensive car park than it currently does.”

Thornhill Park School is an independent specialist school for pupils aged four-to-19, catering for young people from around the region.

It states on its website: “Our mission is to work together inspiring, supporting, celebrating and equipping autistic and neurodiverse children, young people and adults.”

For more information on the application or to leave a comment, visit Sunderland City Council’s online planning portal and search planning reference: 21/01556/FUL

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