New Roker Park cafe and ‘amphitheatre’ plans approved: How historic Sunderland park will look after work complete

Back in 2022, Sunderland City Council submitted an application to its own planning department for new facilities at the Grade II-listed historic park and garden.

This included earthworks to create a new amphitheatre and viewing platform near the existing bandstand, as well as a single-storey building for a café.

The scheme forms part of the planned restoration of the popular Victorian park following feedback from a Let’s Talk Sunderland resident consultation.

Proposed amphitheatre seating would allow people to view the bandstand, forming part of the council’s aim to ensure the bandstand becomes the “beating heart of the park once again”.

The planned café, which would include indoor and outdoor seating, is expected to open seven days a week as well as potentially opening on evenings for events and activities.

Proposals for the amphitheatre and café also aim to boost footfall and ensure future phases of Roker Park improvements, including a restored Grade II-listed bandstand, are brought back into use within a “functional setting”.

Plans were given the stamp of approval by members of Sunderland City Council’s Planning and Highways Committee at a meeting at City Hall on Monday, January 9.

A statement from St Peter’s ward councillor Joshua McKeith, which was read out to decision-makers, noted Roker Park had “suffered at the hand of anti-social behaviour, rat infestations and lack of investment” in recent years.

Cllr McKeith added that the new plans would “transform the park” and “add to our phenomenal seafront offering for residents and visitors”, as well as bringing other benefits.

This included job creation from the proposed café and regeneration work and improved landscaping and “sight lines” helping to reduce antisocial behaviour.

During the planning application process, amended plans were submitted reducing the size of the proposed amphitheatre to limit the number of trees proposed for removal.

Council planning officers, in a report prepared for decision-makers, recommended the scheme for approval and said the benefits would “outweigh the harm” caused by the felling of around a dozen trees.

Following discussion, the plans won unanimous support from members of the Planning and Highways Committee.

Councillor Melanie Thornton, chair of the panel, added: “I think we all welcome applications like this that benefit residents and offer more leisure facilities across the whole of the city, not just in the city centre”.

The planning approval has since been welcomed by city leaders, including councillor Linda Williams, cabinet member for Vibrant City.

Cllr Williams said: “Roker Park is one of our best loved parks and we’re really excited about these plans which are part of a wider programme of improvements to the park.

“These have already seen the restoration of water features in the park including the waterfall and the boating lake.

“I think the café and amphitheatre will be enormously popular, especially given the views they’ll offer of the bandstand and any performances.

“Later this year we’re also hoping to press ahead with the restoration of the historic bandstand, refurbishing the former park keeper’s lodge and opening an accessible changing places toilet.

“It’s important that we look after the historic features in the park as well as developing new attractions to meet the needs of growing visitor numbers, and keep families coming back time after time.”

Councillor Graeme Miller, leader of Sunderland City Council, added: “Investing more than £10million on regeneration and improvements to our stunning seafront has helped to make it a real destination for residents and visitors from the wider region and beyond in recent years and we hope these latest improvements will prove equally popular.”

Work on the latest phase of improvements at Roker Park is expected to start next month with an estimated completion in summer, 2023.

The next stage of the works on the bandstand, lodge and changing places toilet will follow on immediately after this.