A public consultation has launched for a new multi-storey car park (MSCP) in Sunderland city centre.

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.

The 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.

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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 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.

The deadline for comments to be submitted is 22 April 2022.