Sunderland seafront blueprint scrapped in favour of more leisure and less housing

In recent years, residents in Seaburn and Roker have raised concerns about future plans for the area.

This included planning consent for 279 homes under developer Siglion – a firm taken over by Sunderland City Council earlier this year.

Following a ‘deep dive’ into seafront plans by Labour bosses and extra consultation, proposals are set to go back to the drawing board.

The refresh involves “scaling back” housing on the seafront, hotel uses and the ‘Stack’ – a new leisure complex built from shipping containers.

Sunderland City Council’s cabinet member for housing and regeneration, Coun Rebecca Atkinson, said the move follows feedback from residents.

She said: “Resident feedback on our proposals for the Stack have been overwhelmingly positive and we are delighted to be bringing forward new ideas that meet the needs of residents and visitors.

“Seafront housing plans are being scaled back, there are leisure ideas in the pipeline such as the Stack and the possibility of further hotel development.”

Coun Atkinson said the council has already invested more than £10million along the Seaburn and Roker seafront in recent years.

She added: “Myself, cabinet colleagues, and others across the council are working hard to make sure the seafront remains a jewel in our city’s crown and that everyone enjoys the ‘twin resorts’ of Roker and Seaburn.”

The move has also been welcomed by Sunderland City Council’s Conservative group, but opposition councillors called for reassurances on their new plans.

Fulwell ward councillor, James Doyle, said: “I am sure that locals will be relieved that this wholly unpopular template for the frontage has been binned.

“Further, it would seem that the recently announced Stack will bring much-needed investment into the area.

“However, I would still urge caution of the council to get things right this time round – we have already experienced years of stagnation and now is not the time to repeat it.”