http://www.sunderlandecho.com/news/...nd-city-centre-1-5038041#.UH_NSJ-LM34.twitter Published on Thursday 18 October 2012 09:22 MULTI-million-pound plans to re-vamp run-down city centre streets and create a modern âgatewayâ into Sunderland today moved a step closer. The proposals for major work in St Maryâs Way and Livingstone Road, revealed for the first time in these artistâs impressions, will see much-needed road improvements carried out on the busy route into and out of the city, creating new landscaping, boulevard and public space. The remodelling work, which is hoped will pave the way for the re-development of the nearby Vaux site, will also include the demolition of properties in Crowtree Road. Now, a formal planning application, complete with detailed design and access statement, has been submitted to Sunderland City Council. After public consultation, it is expected to go before the local authorityâs planning committee before the end of the year. âThe proposed scheme will improve the connectivity between Vaux and the rest of the city centre,â the plans state. âIt will also accommodate any additional traffic arising from the future redevelopment of Vaux.â Earlier this year, council bosses unveiled the scheme, costing an estimated £13.4million, as part of their £60million capital spending programme. It will transform the area into an âattractiveâ boulevard, creating a traffic-free area known as Magistrateâs Square. They said the area currently gives an âunwelcoming and uninspiring imageâ of the city and acts as a barrier to pedestrians. It is hoped the plans will help them realise their vision for the Vaux site, which the council sees as key to attracting thousands of jobs into the city centre. Under the plans, Magistrateâs Square â at the top of High Street West, outside the Corner Flag pub â will be able to host markets, concerts, displays, festivals and big-screen events. Improving traffic flow on St Maryâs Way will also help connect the Port of Sunderland with major routes in and out of the region, which could increase the chances of new contracts in the future. The proposals also include the idea of a âsuper crossingâ which will allow large numbers of pedestrians and cyclists to cross the new boulevard, giving direct access to the Vaux site. It is believed that developers would be more likely to invest in the site after the work is completed because they would not manage to achieve a return on investment if they undertook work on St Maryâs Way themselves. The roadworks, which are expected to take about 12 months to complete, could begin next spring. Work on Magistratesâ Square would begin in April 2014 and be finished by November 2014. Sunderland Council acquired the Vaux site in 2011, with substantial funding from the Homes and Communities Agency. Since then, work has taken place in a bid to improve the siteâs appearance in the short term. It includes creating a grassed open space and temporary car park. Not sure about you guys, but white building blocks?
They could have just allowed Tesco to redevelop the site 10 years ago, as they'd agreed, and the city wouldn't have been such a **** tip. Sunderland city council are a shambles, I've known this as long as I've known basic maths. Spending £13million on the off chance someone may invest seems like another potential bollock, why not find the investor first & offer the money as a subsidy?
Sounds good, but it's about bloody time. Whatever they do, the city will remain a work-in-progress...
It'd take a couple of hundred million to make the city centre presentable Syd, it's that bad. A load of beautiful buildings torn down & replaced with ugly ones, even many of the attractive building have been modified for full glass shop windows, whereas if you take Grainger Street as an example, shop signs can be placed, but the original building facias are preserved behind. I don't know what it's like now, but I used to find I couldn't buy anything in Sunderland (clothes etc, bar Gate), the bars were getting progressively worse, and decent clubs non-existent. Good food is available in Sunderland, but not so much in the city itself, it's mad really, it doesn't tick any of the boxes of a modern day city in the UK, it's crazy that it's been let go to such a degree.
Everyone blames the council for everything when the real problems with our city centre have been caused by far too many Wearsiders doing their shopping in out of town malls such as the metro centre. If more people used the city centre then the private sector would invest more, simple as.
The council are responsible for encouraging & bringing in outside investment mate, competitive rates etc, and they don't, they do nothing. If better stores & choice is available, then people will go, then more will want in, but the people who run the town have to get the ball rolling. Of course, access to the city is poor, and that cannot be fixed sadly, being so far of the A1 & A19, that will always hold the city back a wee bit.
Well prob solved if the council built me a lovely new spacious flat, and paid me what im worth, i would move back home, that in turn would increase the ladies coming to Sunderland for a lucky dip 100%, Ladies spending loads of money at the shops, to look good for little old me,its a win win. **** is that my alarm, BASTARD IVE WOKE UP NOW , ill call in sick , what the **** was that dream about again.
"Build it and they will come" Long over due imo too and we need our very own 'field of dreams' moment in the city centre to modernise and lift it out of the concrete 60's hell hole it still resides in. I have to disagree completely Mons that the city should have allowed Tescos to build a completely unneeded supermarket on the site and a far more culturally acceptable proposal is prefered for the long term improvement. What Sunderland needs is an ispirational and forward thinker like a John Hall to drive the city forward. Or me and I'd be cheaper. Lol
If Tesco had been allowed to build on the Vaux site it would have been the end of ant chance to develop a decent city centre. You would have had a no frills dull development. What we need is a development which will open up the river front and move the centre of activity there with a mix of shops places to eat places to walk on a night time with the family street entertainment. Basically every thing we dont have athe moment. It is worth holding out to get that sort of thing as once built the effect will ripple out into the rest of the city centre. So I for obe say well done to the council for blocking Tesco. We are getting the Tesco any way and we still have the opportunity for a once in a century development
It's not doubt gonna be a big concrete slab totally lacking character. Why not go for a European style square. Sunderland city centre is awful, with no real flow, theme and as said above lacks character buildings. They should pull the vast majority down and start again. The points of the A19 and A1 are valid however if there were thing worth visiting people may make the journey. Free parking may attract people back to the city centre. All these places like the metro centre have free parking. Why not fight fire with fire. For too long bit part solutions have been used leading to a bit part city centre with no real soul.
I agree I think we are both after the same thing a modern well built and design centre making use of the natural feature along the river side, even a foot bridge from the Vaux site to the SOL
****ing hell lads, did any of you LOOK at Tesco plans? Now, I haven't lived in Sunderland for some 14 years because it is ****E, but I am proud Mackem, and watch it. Tesco's plans were not a supermarket, they were a supermarket, and a promenade of additional shops, with a vast amount of top end office space & the option for developers to build some residential apartments with river views. In short EXACTLY what the city needs. And Cest, 'Unneeded supermarket' Are you nuts? We have a city centre encompassed by Thornhill & Ashbrooke , even Hendon with no ****ing supermarket, it is borderline 3rd world that. The city is DESPERATE for a supermarket, there is no appeal whatsoever for anyone to buy , and invest in our city. I bought a buy-to-let property earlier this year. In Newcastle. I would see 3-4%, despite a large student population, as the city has no appeal. I get 7-11% in a city with supermarkets, bars , and access. Newcastle. I think I'm clear about how proud I am to be a Sunderland lad and a Mackem, but please, don't try and flute me, I'm fully aware of the plans, direction & ultimate & constant failure of our council. I'm a Seaburn lad, my family shops in Boldon. We leave the city to shop, for food. The city is ****, and until people dig their face out heir arses, it will remain so.
The old Tyne & Tyne development Corporation has a lot to answer for here as far as I'm concerned. There are a hell of a lot of cities that are much worse than Sunderland, they do however, have thriving city centres. Glasgow & Belfast spring immediately to mind.
Why has Sunderland been allowed to become so "desolate"? It seems weird that the biggest city in the North East (am I right that it is bigger than Newcastle?) has fallen so far behind other cities.
You are spot on Billy, the Tyne & Wear development corp were the people who really ****ed our city, a city of beaches, top class beaches, good people, demand an numbers. More brwn envelopes than 100 years of FIFA. They ****ed it. It will take 20 years to correct, but that would be assuming MASSIVE investment tomorrow. Not happening.
If you think Sunderland is bad, then you should take a look at my home town South Shields. Years of neglect from the council has left the town centre looking like a ghost town. However if you wish to purchase a mobile phone, a birthday card or a Greggs pasty then you will find many of these in King Street, but bugger all else. Extortionate fees levied on businesses has driven them away, however if your a charity shop you can ply your business for nothing. If i can see the problem, how come the council cant. Simple answer is they cant see past the end of their collective noses which are all buried in the trough.
