Have your say on Holmeside MSCP Proposals

Holmeside Multi Storey Car Park

The proposed development is located in Holmeside and will provide car parking across five floors and over four-storeys, as well as associated access and landscape works.

The development will link to the wider improvements to Holmeside, including the bus priority and gyratory scheme, as well as the improvements to the train station. These projects have received significant funding from the Department for Transport's Transforming Cities Fund.

Holmeside MSCP Site Plan (PDF) [699KB]

Proposed Development

The multi-storey car park (MSCP) will be built on Holmeside in Sunderland city centre, with associated vehicular and pedestrian access and landscape works.

The site is largely vacant and currently consists of cleared land and a substation in the centre, two pubs (Sinatra's and The Railway Club), a billboard, grassland in the east, and vacant retail units and the access road into the rear of Sunderland College to the west of the site.

The MSCP design proposes an open and airy building providing good visibility for vehicular and personal safety. The northern elevation of the building fronting Holmeside includes an active frontage at basement and ground floor levels with retail uses currently proposed.

It is planned for the vehicular access to the MSCP to be taken from Holmeside to the north, wrapping around the west of the building and leading into the southern elevation of the building, whilst pedestrian access will be taken directly from Holmeside. Electric vehicle parking bays, smart parking systems and cycle parking will be provided as part of the proposed development.

The MSCP development will support the improvements to the train station through the provision of well-located city centre parking spaces, providing direct access to national rail connections.

The MSCP is the first step of redevelopment and regeneration of the Holmeside area through investment by the city council and the provision of additional city centre parking. This will also encourage more visitors to the city centre and in turn, spend in the city centre.

The development will complement and support the tandem proposals to create a bus priority route along Holmeside through to Vine Place, which will be achieved by creating a gyratory system turning traffic from Holmeside onto Maritime Street and creating a new road link through the site of the former Peacock's store to Brougham Street. A planning application for these roadworks has been submitted under application reference: 22/00161/LP3.

Benefits

·       Sunderland city centre is well-served by the Metro and bus services but for those who need to drive into the city centre, the proposed development will provide additional parking spaces in a well-located part of the centre

·       The MSCP will be conveniently located for travel via train, bus and onward flight connections providing direct access to national and international travel

·       The new MSCP will provide an active use for previously developed vacant land

·       The MSCP will provide the first step in the regeneration of Holmeside

·       The project will work in tandem with, and support, the Holmeside road works including the bus priority and gyratory scheme, as well as the improvements to the train station

·       The project will improve the streetscape and visual frontage along Holmeside

·       The project will allow for the removal of dilapidated buildings and a cohesive redevelopment of the site

Timescales

Works are planned to start in Winter 2022 and are anticipated to be complete by Winter 2023.

Have your say

Thank you for taking the time to view these proposals. This is an opportunity for you to engage with the council's vision and provide us with valuable feedback on the proposed Holmeside multi-storey car park.

Comments can be submitted via email: IC.consultation@sunderland.gov.uk

Alternatively, complete 

Please submit your comments by 22 April 2022.