‘Strengthening Seaburn as a destination of choice'
A £2.3million development project at Sunderland’s seafront will help “strengthen Seaburn’s identity as a destination of choice”, city leaders have said.
Sunderland City Council has invested more than £10million into Roker and Seaburn in recent years as part of efforts to increase visitors to the city’s stunning coastline. Senior councillors have now approved the next stage of works to compliment new leisure and housing developments in the area.
The £2.3million will fund "public realm works” which include infrastructure upgrades, visual improvements, new pedestrian links and new play facilities.
Cabinet member for Dynamic City, Cllr Rebecca Atkinson, outlined the plans at a cabinet meeting on September 15, stating the redevelopment of Seaburn as a leisure and residential development is progressing “at pace”.
She said: “Phase one of Se abu rn’ s STACK is now open with the second phase commencing in January 2021, a four-storey 40-bedroom inn and family restaurant is now on-site and due to complete in March 2021.
“A new car park at Dykelands Road is due to commence later this month and Avant Homes are due to commence development of their housing scheme from October this year with occupation of the first property by March 2021.
“A targeted programme of infrastructure investment at Ocean Park is required to ensure that these emerging development proposals are embedded into a coherent and high-qua lity environment which will strengthen Seaburn’s identity as a destination of choice and build upon previous successful investment into foreshore areas of Seaburn, Cliffe
Park and Recreation Park.” The planned public realm works include upgrades to the western footway of Whitburn Road and its junction with Dykelands Road, new east-west pedestrian links and visual improvements to the pumping station.
Other plans include new equipped play facilities to replace existing facilities a nd the reprofiling of the channelled areas of the watercourse at land next to Cut Throat De ne to the east of Lo wry Road.