Pendragon is hoping to build £5.5 million new Stratstone Jaguar and Land Rover dealerships in Sunderland spanning the A690 Durham road.

The largest dealer group in the AM100 has applied for planning permission to demolish the current Jaguar showroom beside the A690 at Houghton Le Spring, knock down the used car showroom on the opposite side of the A690, and to replace them with new showrooms for Jaguar and Land Rover.

Although JLR’s usual preference under its ‘ARCH’ corporate identity is for both brands to be housed in a twinned showroom, in this case this will be overlooked, according to the planning submission.

Instead, the two dark grey clad showrooms would almost face each other across the A690 at Stony Gate.

The plans show that the Jaguar site would include almost 30 customer parking spaces, included two disabled parking bays, forecourt space for almost 60 used cars, a showroom with space for eight new cars and a seven bay workshop, plus a separate valeting building.

The Land Rover site would comprise a showroom for 10 new cars, 10-bay workshop with a drive-through reception lane, forecourt space for more than 45 cars, more than 30 customer parking spaces, two disabled parking spaces and a standalone valet building.