People in Sunderland invited to have say as Seaburn play park plans are officially submitted

Sunderland City Council’s planning department has received a planning application for land off Lowry Road near the Prego Restaurant and the former pirate play park site.

The plans, which were developed with input from local schoolchildren, aim to create a key visitor attraction as part of Seaburn’s wider seafront offer.

Sunderland City Council’s Labour cabinet agreed to progress the proposals at a meeting at City Hall on July 13, 2023.

This included the council agreeing to enter into a development funding agreement with its regeneration company Siglion Developments LLP to combine capital resources to deliver the scheme.

As part of the meeting, senior councillors heard Siglion was expected to submit a planning application as well as start a process to appoint a construction contractor.

A planning application for the development was submitted in October, 2023, and has now appeared on the council’s planning portal website, allowing the public to view detailed designs and leave feedback.

The planning application describes plans for a new children’s play area with a bridge, public walkways, landscaping and several “discrete play areas”, along with redevelopment works to provide grassed open space.

Designs include climbing, scrambling and ‘rope play’ building structures, as well as play towers, tree houses, swings and climbing walls, with CGI visuals also showing several large ‘pyramid structures’ with slides.

In line with the council’s ambition to make the city’s play parks ‘more inclusive’, the plans will include bespoke play equipment for those with accessibility challenges, ensuring as many families as possible can enjoy the facilities.

A planning, design and access statement submitted to council officials states the development will “clear the former play area and tidy up the site”.

It was also argued that the plans would expand the existing play area while “promoting and facilitating active and healthy lifestyles, thus supporting the integration of healthy lifestyles with other community uses”.

The planning, design and access statement adds: “This is fundamentally important as residents of Sunderland experience higher levels of social disadvantage than the national average and there are increasingly strong links between high levels of socio-economic disadvantage and poor health.

“Such findings are also reflected in childhood obesity rates within the city, which are again higher than the national average with 24% of Year 6 children being classified as obese when compared to the national average of 19.8%.

“The creation of a space for healthy and active lifestyles, as well as community uses for gathering and interaction will encourage a variety of people to visit the proposed development.

“The use of the site will be suitable for families and those visiting Seaburn for other purposes and will act as a catalyst for drawing more people into the surrounding area as well as contributing to the overall economy”.

A report presented to cabinet in July, 2023, listed the estimated cost of the play park scheme as £1.495 million with the ‘actual cost’ set to be confirmed once a construction contractor is appointed.

It is understood that the majority of the cost will be funded through a Siglion budget to “deliver public realm upgrades” and that £650,000 from the council’s capital programme will be allocated towards the project.

A decision on the planning application is expected to be made once a period of council consultation has concluded.

Information on Sunderland City Council’s planning portal website lists a decision deadline of December 14, 2023.

Subject to planning permission being granted, the council hopes to open the new play park in Spring 2024.

For more information on the plan or to track its progress, visit the council’s planning portal website and search reference: 23/02164/LP3