SEAFRONT

PRIDE

People are naturally drawn to welcoming, well-maintained areas. A clean, safe and attractive environment enhances the overall customer experience and encourages footfall, making visitors more likely to stay longer and spend more.

Enhanced cleanliness and maintenance are key; regular litter collection, graffiti removal, and the upkeep of public spaces are essential, as is the proactive maintenance of benches, lighting, signage, and pathways to keep the seafront safe and inviting.

We will look to add more planters, greenery, public art, murals and sculptures to enhance the aesthetic appeal of the seafront alongside seasonal decorations and lighting to create a vibrant and festive atmosphere throughout the year.

Always visible and approachable, the Street Rangers play a vital role in maintaining a safe, clean, and welcoming environment.

They support businesses with on-the-ground solutions and offer local knowledge; their presence significantly enhances the sense of community and pride.

They already have a close working relationship with the seafront’s cleansing teams, enabling them to act quickly and without fuss, suggest improvements, and escalate enforcement when needed.

A robust approach to crime reduction is essential to supporting, retaining and attracting business.

We investigate, respond to and resolve issues relating to safety improvements. Our Business Liaison Debbie works collaboratively with all Police and Local Authority initiatives, such as SAIL, and jointly runs schemes such as Shopwatch and contributes to Pubwatch & the Radio scheme to support businesses and reduce antisocial behaviour; we will look to implement these schemes at the Seafront.

We promote training and nationwide courses, including ACT (Anti-terrorism), so that businesses have the most up-todate knowledge to combat crime and antisocial behaviour.

We play a pivotal role in supporting the heritage assets at Sunderland’s seafront by leveraging our resources and expertise to promote, and enhance these cultural and historical landmarks.

We maintain them, boost cultural tourism, strengthen the local economy, and instil pride in their history, ensuring these assets continue to inspire future generations.

The BID fully supports Sunderland’s ambition to be carbon neutral by the end of 2040.

We are working with Sunderland City Council and its partners to ensure that their pioneering action towards a low-carbon, sustainable future is embraced within BID businesses. At the same time, we are doing our bit to reduce our carbon footprint by focusing on how we can be more sustainable in all our actions and activities and transfer any knowledge we gain to our businesses to help support the city’s goal.

We will also look to introduce initiatives to encourage cycling, walking, and public transport by promoting bike routes, pedestrian-friendly walks, and easy access to transport hubs. Along with urban greening projects and using the BID’s platforms to educate the public on the benefits of supporting low-carbon lifestyles, such as shopping locally with independent businesses, we could introduce a recognition system for enterprises that significantly reduce their carbon footprint.