Future developments in City of Sunderland

There are a number of Future developments in City of Sunderland in England aimed at supporting its revitalisation.

The Holmeside Triangle

The Holmeside Triangle is an area adjacent to the Park Lane transport interchange, enclosed on three sides by Park Lane, Holmeside and railway tracks. Sunderland arc own 75% of the land, currently occupied by a mixture of retail and commercial units including Park Lane Market. £147 million plans for the site include the creation of extensive retail space, public meeting spaces, cafes, bars and restaurants, and a 33 storey Skyscraper called the Spirit of Sunderland, which would be the tallest building in North East England. In the summer of 2009 it was announced that Thornfield properties had signed a £180 million agreement with Sunderland Arc, to fund and establish the development. However, despite having the benefit of an exclusivity deal signed with the Council Thornfield Ventures, the preferred developer, have become another victim of the recession and gone into administration

Vaux and Farringdon Row

Since the closure of the Vaux brewery in 1999, a 26-acre (110,000 m2) brownfield site has lain dormant in the centre of Sunderland. The land was subject to dispute between supermarket chain Tesco, who bought the site in 2001, and Sunderland arc (now defunct), who submitted plans for its redvelopment in 2002. During formal negotiations, Tesco stated they would be willing to sell the land to arc, if an alternative city centre site could be found.

In 2011 the 10 year wrangle over the future of a former brewery site in the centre of Sunderland was settled when Tesco sold the land back to Sunderland City Council after securing planning permission to build a new store on the Sunderland Retail park site.

Initial plans approved by the former Sunderland Arc for the site in 2007 have failed to materialise. These plans included extensive office space, hotels, lesuire and retail units, residential apartments and a new £50m Crown and Magistrates court. As of July 2013 the vaux site is still a blot on the landscape of the city centre with one of the sites premium sites still awaiting major investment from the council to bring previous approved plans to life.

Stadium Village

Redevelopment of the Monkwearmouth Colliery site, which sits of the north bank of the river Wear opposite the Vaux site, began in the mid-1990s with the creation of the Stadium of Light. In 2008, it was joined by the Sunderland aquatic centre. The Sheepfolds industrial estate occupies a large area of land between the Stadium and the Wearmouth Bridge. Sunderland arc are in the process of purchasing land in the Sheepfolds, with a view to relocate the businesses and redvelop the site. The emphasis of development plans include further sporting facilities, in order to create a Sports Village. Other plans include a hotel, residential accommodation, and a footbridge linking the site with the Vaux development.

Grove and Transport Corridor

The Sunderland Strategic Transport Corridor (SSTC) is a proposed transport link from the A19, through the city centre, to the port. A major phase of the plan is the creation of a new bridge, which will link the A1231 Wessington Way on the north of the river with the Grove site in Pallion, on the south of the river. In 2008, Sunderland City Council offered the residents of Sunderland the opportunity to vote on the design of the bridge. The choices were a 700-foot-tall (210 m), iconic cable stay bridge, which would result in a temporary increase in council tax, or a simple road bridge which would be within the council's budget. The results of the consulatation were inconclusive, with residents keen to have an iconic bridge, but reluctant to have a subsequent increase in tax to fund it. Regardless of the ultimate design of the new bridge, the landing point will be the Grove site in Pallion. Plans for this site focus around the creation of a new residential area, with homes, community buildings, commercial and retail sites.

In September 2009, City Councillors agreed to proceed with the landmark bridge, which can be delivered without any increased costs to taxpayers. The bridge will be the tallest bridge in England. A planning application for the bridge is now being developed and could be submitted by the end of 2009. Subject to further permissions on planning and funding, work could begin in 2012 with completion towards the end of 2014. The planning application was in fact submitted in December 2009.

On May 14, 2010. The Sunderland City Council approved an application for River Wear Bridge. It will be a cable-stay bridge, towering 180 meters above the River Wear and connecting Castletown and Pallion. The bridge will be having two independent curving steel masts with the taller western mast rising to 190 meters,making the structure UK's tallest bridge.. The suspended deck will cover 336 meters and will consist of two carriageways, along with pedestrian and cycle access. The deck will be hung some 16 to 20 meters above the River Wear. The construction is planned to begin in 2012 with completion slated in 2015.

On 10 July 2013 Sunderland Council announced the project would be abandoned. The excessive costs and changing economic climate were cited as reasons, and a cheaper, less complex bridge would instead be commissioned.