Watch as new gates are installed at Sunderland seafront park

The largest of the ornate metal gates, which weighs a tonne, was winched into place at Seaburn Recreation Park yesterday morning.

The seafront green space is a focal point for events in the area including the Sunderland International Airshow, the Seaburn Classic Car Show and Armed Forces Day.

At the moment because it doesn’t have any proper entrance gates, wooden fence panels surrounding the site have had to be temporarily removed whenever it hosts an event.

But this is about to change thanks to funding from the Coastal Communities Fund which has been used to pay for the new gates.

Cabinet secretary at Sunderland City Council, Councillor Mel Speding, said: “This is the final piece in the jigsaw of the work we’ve been doing to maximise the use of Recreation Park and Cliffe Park for events and make them more accessible with better power supplies, new planting, seating and footpaths.

“This will be a big improvement.

“The new gates are not only practical but they’re also in keeping with other decorative railings and metalwork at the seafront.

“These are being financed through the Coastal Communities Fund as part of the ongoing improvements to the seafront.”

Meanwhile work is nearing completion on a new toilet block being built at Marine Walk, Roker which includes disabled changing place facilities.

Work began in January and is due for completion by Easter.

Plans to repair and reopen Tram Shelter toilet blocks at Seaburn are also continuing with the aim that these will open this summer.

The improvements bring the amount invested in regenerating the seafront to more than £10million since 2010.