Sunderland City Council · Metropolitan borough
Transport Statements and Assessments in Sunderland
What transport evidence a Sunderland planning application needs, the parking standards that apply, and the policies an assessment should address.
Which document do you need?
National policy asks for a Transport Statement or a Transport Assessment wherever a development will generate significant amounts of movement.
Transport Statement
A shorter document for smaller schemes where transport issues are limited: access, parking, trips and sustainable travel.
Transport Assessment
A full assessment for larger schemes: trip generation, network impact, junction capacity and mitigation.
Parking standards
The standards Sunderland City Council applies, taken from the source document below and checked against it row by row.
| Use | Area and size | Car parking |
|---|---|---|
| Care home | High | 1 per 20 residents + 1 per resident staff + 1 per 5 non-resident staff |
| Care home | Low | 1 per 5 residents + 1 per resident staff + 1 per 2 non-resident staff |
| Care home | Medium | 1 per 10 residents + 1 per resident staff +1 per 3 non-resident staff |
| Residential school | High | Case by case |
| Residential school | Low | 1 per staff + 1 per 5 students over 17yrs |
| Residential school | Medium | 1 per staff + 1 per 10 students over 17yrs |
| E(g), E(i): Office development | High | 1 per 200m2 GFA |
| E(g), E(i): Office development | Low | 1 per 30m2 GFA |
| E(g), E(i): Office development | Medium | 1 per 50m2 GFA |
| Non-food retail | High | Case by case |
| Non-food retail | Low | 1 per 50m2 GFA |
| Non-food retail | Medium | 1 per 75 m2 GFA |
| B2: General industry | High | 1 per 200m2 GFA |
| B2: General industry | Low | 1 per 50m2 GFA |
| B2: General industry | Medium | 1 per 100m2 GFA |
| B8: Storage/distribution | High | 1 per 500m2 GFA |
| B8: Storage/distribution | Low | 1 per 100m2 GFA |
| B8: Storage/distribution | Medium | 1 per 200m2 GFA |
| C1 Hotels | High | 1 per bed + 1 per 50m2 GFA of public area |
| C1 Hotels | Low | 1 per bed + 1 per 5m2 GFA of public area |
| C1 Hotels | Medium | 1 per bed + 1 per 10m2 GFA of public area |
| DIY stores | High | Case by case |
| DIY stores | Low | 1 per 50m2 GFA |
| DIY stores | Medium | 1 per 75m2 GFA |
| E(b): Food and drink (cafe - restaurant) | High | 1 per resident staff |
| E(b): Food and drink (cafe - restaurant) | Low | 1 per 10m2 GFA |
| E(b): Food and drink (cafe - restaurant) | Medium | 1 per 20m2 GFA |
| E(ci), E(cii): Financial and professional services | High | 1 per 100m2 GFA |
| E(ci), E(cii): Financial and professional services | Low | 1 per 30m2 GFA |
| E(ci), E(cii): Financial and professional services | Medium | 1 per 50m2 GFA |
| E(d), F2(c), (d): Assembly/leisure | High | Case by case |
| E(d), F2(c), (d): Assembly/leisure | Low | 1 per staff + 1 per 5m2 GFA of public area |
| E(d), F2(c), (d): Assembly/leisure | Medium | 1 per staff + 1 per 10m2 GFA of public area |
| E(e): Medical health centre | High | 1 per practitioner |
| E(e): Medical health centre | Low | 1 per practitioner + 3 per consulting room |
| E(e): Medical health centre | Medium | 1 per practitioner + 2 per consulting room |
| E(f): Crèche/day nursery | High | 1 per 3 staff + drop off/pick up area to be agreed |
| E(f): Crèche/day nursery | Low | 1 per staff + drop off/pick up area to be agreed |
| E(f): Crèche/day nursery | Medium | 1 per 2 staff + drop off/pick up area to be agreed |
| F1(a): Education establishment | High | 1 per 3 staff + drop off/pick up area to be agreed |
| F1(a): Education establishment | Low | 1 per staff + drop off/pick up area to be agreed |
| F1(a): Education establishment | Medium | 1 per 2 staff + drop off/pick up area to be agreed |
| F1(b) Gallery/museum | High | Case by case |
| F1(b) Gallery/museum | Low | 1 per staff + 1 per 50m2 GFA of public area |
| F1(b) Gallery/museum | Medium | 1 per staff + 1 per 100m2 GFA of public area |
| Garden centre | High | Case by case |
| Garden centre | Low | 1 per 50m2 GFA |
| Garden centre | Medium | 1 per 75m2 GFA |
| Hospital | High | Case by case |
| Hospital | Low | 1 per bed + 3 per consulting room |
| Hospital | Medium | 1 per 2 beds + 2 per consulting room |
| Use | Cycle parking |
|---|---|
| Care home | 1 per 5 staff |
| Residential school | 1 per 10 staff + 1 per 20 students |
| E(g), E(i): Office development | 1 per 50m2 GFA |
| Non-food retail | 1 per 500m2 GFA |
| B2: General industry | 1 per 100m2 GFA |
| B8: Storage/distribution | 1 per 500m2 GFA |
| C1 Hotels | 1 per 10 beds + 1 per 50m2 GFA of public area |
| DIY stores | 1 per 500m2 GFA |
| E(b): Food and drink (cafe - restaurant) | 1 per 100m2 GFA |
| E(ci), E(cii): Financial and professional services | 1 per 100m2 GFA |
| E(d), F2(c), (d): Assembly/leisure | 1 per 10 staff + 1 per 100m2 GFA of public area |
| E(e): Medical health centre | 1 per 10 staff |
| E(f): Crèche/day nursery | 1 per 10 staff |
| F1(a): Education establishment | 1 per 10 staff + 2 per 10 pupils |
| F1(b) Gallery/museum | 1 per 10 staff + 1 per 100m2 GFA of public area |
| Garden centre | 1 per 500m2 GFA |
| Hospital | 1 per 20 beds + 1 per 15 staff |
| Hot food takeaway | 1 per 100m2 GFA |
| Training centre | 1 per 10 staff + 1 per 20 attendees |
| Vehicle servicing/repairs | 1 per 2 staff |
Source: Development Management Supplementary Planning Document (June 2021), Section 8: Transport and parking standardsAdopted 16 June 2021Figures checked against the published document on 6 November 2026Selected tables: the source document has the full standards
Policies your assessment should address
The transport policies of the development plan documents in the summary panel. A neighbourhood plan, or a plan for one part of Sunderland, may also apply to your site.
Core Strategy and Development Plan 2015-2033
- SP10Connectivity and transport network
- ST2Local road network
- ST3Development and transport
- ID2Planning obligations
- ID1Delivering infrastructure
This page summarises adopted policy and links to the source documents. It is not legal advice: always confirm a figure against the adopted document before relying on it.