Mayor of the North East Kim McGuinness will lead a new Creative Development Zone in Sunderland, working with Sunderland City Council to establish the city as a creative capital for the north.
The zone will unlock the next phase of the Riverside Sunderland regeneration programme, including the first stage of the Crown Works film studios, new urban neighbourhoods, and projects to boost the creative sector. This includes opening up new spaces for artists and creative businesses to develop their practice alongside commercial and housing developments.
Under the Mayor’s plan, the North East Combined Authority will invest £300,000, match-funded by Sunderland City Council, to accelerate delivery of affordable housing, high-quality employment, leisure and creative facilities, and phase 1a of Crown Works Studios.
The Creative Mayoral Development Zone will support Sunderland’s 2040 vision, bringing together public and private partners to attract investment and funding for:
- Crown Works Studios – a regional priority expected to deliver 230,000 sq ft of production floorspace in its first phase.
- Completion of major regeneration projects from the original 2020 masterplan, including Vaux Housing, the Sheepfolds neighbourhood, and a new high street mixed-use development with Capital + Centric.
- Inner-city regeneration to create thousands of affordable homes in neighbourhoods such as Deptford, Old Sunderland, Sunniside, and St Peter’s.
Kim McGuinness, Mayor of the North East, said:
“I want to give our brilliant creative industries the opportunity to thrive, from individual artists up to our plans for a first film studio in our region, creating new jobs for local people as we do so.
“We are launching a new Creative Mayoral Development Zone in order to speed up the transformation of Sunderland with creative industries at the heart of new urban neighbourhoods that are attractive and affordable places to live.
“Growing our creative industries is a key part of our Local Growth Plan for the North East. Now we will be working alongside Sunderland City Council to boost local investment and unlock the huge potential the city has, creating jobs in the industries of the future and high quality and affordable homes for local people.”
The North East CA will provide strategic oversight and regional coordination, aligning with the Local Growth Plan and emerging Spatial Development Strategy, while Sunderland City Council brings local delivery expertise and a proven track record of successful partnerships.
Homes England has been invited to co-invest as a strategic partner, focusing on large-scale housing delivery, creative industries growth, and urban regeneration across Sunderland.
Image credit: iStock
