Call for Sunderland Metro extension to Doxford Park to tackle ‘parking chaos’

In recent weeks, it was revealed that North East leaders are making a case to government to widen the Tyne and Wear Metro network.

A draft letter from Coun Martin Gannon, leader of Gateshead Council and chairman of the North East Joint Transport Committee (JTC), sets out vision for the region.

This includes the network stretching out into the West End of Newcastle and across to the Metrocentre and Team Valley.

For Sunderland, the proposals include expanding services to Washington and south to Seaham and Doxford Park.

Liberal Democrat campaigner, Heather Fagan, has backed the bid for new Metro services which she argues would tackle congestion and parking issues in Doxford.

“For years residents in Moorside and Doxford surrounding the business park have been trapped in parking chaos and traffic hell,” she said.

“Extending the Metro to Doxford would massively help with these problems affecting our community and give people an environmentally friendly way to get to and from work.”

She added:”Extending the Metro is desperately needed – as is investment in new commuter car parks, as well as park and ride schemes.

“I’ll be keeping up the fight to get Sunderland council and regional transport bosses to stop ignoring our area.”

Sharon Hodgson, MP for Washington and Sunderland West, has expressed her support for expanding the Metro, describing a Washington New Town link as “viable and well overdue”

While Sunderland Conservatives have previously backed a Washington expansion which they state would boost business.

Cabinet member for environment and transport on Sunderland City Council, Coun Amy Wilson, added investment is needed across all transport networks.

“Longer-term plans for extending the system into Doxford and also completing what some call the ‘Washington loop’ have been public for several years,” she said.

 “As a council, we want to see more investment in not just Doxford but all our city’s transport links, this includes a major upgrade to the Durham East Coast rail line, our new Central Railway Station, all of our Metro links, and all of our bus services.

“The council is working closely with its transport partners across the region to lobby and bring more investment into our transport networks.”

She added: “Recent delays, cancellations and a lack of investment in our region are because of the Liberal and Conservative Coalition Government that introduced austerity and punished the North East and its voters.

“Government spending per head on public transport in Sunderland and across the North East is about a third of what it is London, if we get this spending changed and increased investment there are many opportunities to improve our city’s transport links.”

A £362million fleet of new Metro trains should start arriving in 2021, and any expansion of the network would require an huge investment from government.

However, it is understood that the potential cost of a route to Doxford could be in the region of up to £200 million.

A Nexus spokesman added: “Metro brings with it proven benefits for local people and businesses, so we are committed to expanding the system in the future and work ceaselessly with our local authority partners to achieve that.

“Any new route would require a detailed business case setting out the economic and social benefits it would deliver in order to win the substantial funding commitment from government needed to make it happen.

“We have commissioned external experts to develop new engineering and demand studies on a number of potential routes across the region so we can understand what is possible.”

Coun Gannon’s letter has been drafted in response to a Department for Transport consultation on potential new rail links across towns and cities in England.

Before being submitted to government, it will be presented to JTC members tomorrow (March 19) for comment.

The meeting takes place at Gateshead Civic Centre at 2pm and is open to the public.

Caption: Wearside Liberal Democrat campaigner, Heather Fagan

Chris Binding , Local Democracy Reporting Service